Pillars in Scarlet
by Ladie in Lace
Summary: A murder has occurred in Ouran, and Kaoru may be the next victim. With an intelligent killer and an entire police force trying to bring the youngest twin down, even Hikaru begins to doubt his brother's innocence. Kaoru is forced into a dangerous game with a dangerous man, and checkmate is imminent. -Brotherly love and enough angst to last a lifetime!-I do not own OHSHC (On hiatus)
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings. I give you a new angsty story. Or at least the short beginning to one!**

**IMPORTANT UPDATE. I REWROTE THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS BECAUSE I WAS UNSATISFIED AND I HAD A CHANGE OF THOUGHT.**

**This story starts off kind of slow and speeds up as it goes along.**

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><p>Droplets stroked quickly through the air, falling delicately on the world around him.<p>

Kaoru loved the rain.

So, as he walked through waves of down pouring water, he couldn't help but lose himself completely to the serenity.

The clouds above him were dark and ominous, yet strangely otherworldly, giving Kaoru a feeling of awe as he strode down a pathway lining a few shops, his head upturned to the sky.

Droplets of soothing water cascaded over his shut eyelids, trailing slowly down his cheeks and over his mouth, soaking his clothes.

But he didn't care.

He loved the feeling of being completely alone for once, alone with the rain and pillars of cloud. He breathed in the misty air. It smelled of wet asphalt.

There was nobody around; everyone else was inside hiding from the storm. Everyone sane was keeping dry, including Hikaru. Kaoru snorted at himself.

Kaoru had been chosen as the person to make a quick run to the fabric store during the downpour. His mother had run out of a certain fabric she needed for a ballroom gown she was constructing for the wife of some upper class politician.

The ball was a boring businesspeople gala that would be held in a few days, so there was no time to spare. Unfortunately, Kaoru and Hikaru would be attending as well. They had both protested of course, but it had been no good. Their mother had been persistent, and their father had insisted. Once Mr. Hitachiin told his sons to do something, they had to do it. It was how it was.

Kaoru continued to walk slowly through the blowing downpour, his eyes closed.

He reached the end of the sidewalk and looked both ways down the road. There wasn't a car in sight. It was slightly ominous, but although rain was falling steadily, the sun was shining bright through crevices in the clouds, lighting the air around him and allowing him to feel at ease.

He jogged needlessly to the sidewalk across the way and arrived at a small high end store called _Fwaré_. His mother ordered all of her fabric from the store since it was within walking distance of their mansion.

The windows were dark. He cupped his hands and tried to look through the droplet covered glass.

Nobody was inside. He tried the door. It was locked.

Kaoru sighed but didn't really mind. He loved his little walk through the storm.

He turned on his heel and began his trek back home. He did it slowly. He had no reason to rush.

He trekked along the wet pavement with his hands in his pockets.

He strode past an alleyway between two shops and thought he caught a bit of movement out of the corner of his eye. He hesitated for half a second then continued past the alley. It was probably a cat. Strays were common in that area.

Though that was the most likely case, Kaoru walked a little faster as a sliver of doubt slipped its way into his thoughts.

_Cats, after all, hate water. So why would a stray be out in the open during a storm?_

He snorted at his own foolishness for the second time. He was just being paranoid.

Kaoru flinched when he heard a small splash from behind him. He smiled at his own stupidity once again.

_It was only a large drop of rain, that's all. Nothing to worry about._

Fear blossomed in his stomach as a heard another unnatural splash. He jogged to the end of the sidewalk and then built up enough courage to turn around.

His stomach dropped. Through the gusty mist, he could see the partial silhouette of a large man standing next to the alley opening.

Kaoru swallowed hard, his mind balancing between two options; greet the stranger, or run.

Being the heroic and polite boy he was, he turned tail and ran. After only a few seconds of running, he felt a heavy hand clasp his shoulder from behind, and Kaoru stopped dead, the hand forcing him to turn.

He found himself staring up into the eyes of a large, rather friendly looking man.

"I am _so_ sorry. Did I scare you?" The man said warmly as he released Kaoru, who stumbled backwards, blinking rain out of his eyes.

Kaoru quickly recovered from his terror and straightened himself. He fixed his hair and promptly forced a smile onto his face.

"Oh, no I'm sorry. I was just trying to get out of the rain. I came to see if a certain shop was open, but it was closed. Just my luck." Kaoru chuckled politely.

_Wow, I am a moron._

"Ah, yes. That tends to happen at this hour on Sunday. These shops close early." The man said with a huff. The man offered his hand to Kaoru. Kaoru took it.

"My name is Dean Harding." The man said. Kaoru shook his hand and nodded.

_That name has a very familiar ring to it. I should know his name, there aren't many American families in these parts._

"I'm Kaoru. If you don't mind me asking, what were you doing in an alley in the middle of a rainstorm?" Kaoru asked, his body relaxing as it realized he was in no danger. Although Dean was no cat, he most definitely wasn't some psycho. Dean was big, sure, but well kept and young, maybe in his thirties.

Sure, his arrival was really odd.

But he was no old pervert. Kaoru had no reason to worry, though the fact that Dean was in an alley was strange. And Kaoru wasn't too keen on the fact that he was all alone with Dean with nobody else around. He'd seen criminal minds. He knew that you can never be too careful.

"I was looking for my wallet. I was here at a shop earlier and I lost it."

"And you thought you would find it in an _alley_?" Kaoru chuckled.

Dean shrugged and smiled.

"It doesn't hurt to check." Dean stated humorously. Kaoru looked around and realized the rain had stopped.

_How disappointing._

"Nice to meet you Kaoru, but my ride is here."

Dean walked past Kaoru, who turned and saw that a long black limo had pulled up beside them while they were conversing.

_Well, he has money, that's for sure. It's strange that a man with money and a familiar name, probably the son of some businessman, would look for his own wallet instead of sending servants to do the searching for him._

Dean paused before getting in and turned back to Kaoru.

"Do you need a ride?" Dean asked warmly.

Dean seemed like a decent man, and Kaoru could sense that Dean was an upper class citizen, but Kaoru couldn't ignore the high pitched ringing of Hikaru's voice in his head screaming 'stranger danger, stranger danger!'

"Nah, I like to walk. Thanks, though." Kaoru said graciously. Dean seemed to pout a little, but then he shrugged.

Kaoru watched as Dean disappeared into the sleek car with a wave goodbye.

Kaoru smiled as the limo pulled away and he began his trek home.

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><p>"They were closed?" Hikaru asked as he opened the entrance door before Kaoru had even touched the knob.<p>

Kaoru nodded and shook his hair, showering an unhappy Hikaru with water droplets.

Hikaru grimaced and ruffled Kaoru's hair. Kaoru groaned and fixed it while Hikaru laughed and made his way toward the living room.

"So, how was your stroll through the rain? Did you do any singing?" Hikaru asked as he collapsed into a sofa. Kaoru followed him into the room.

"Ha ha, very funny. There was some guy in an alley. He scared the crap out of me, but he was actually a pretty nice guy."

"Wait, you _talked _to a guy prowling around an alley?" Hikaru asked in mock horror.

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Creeper alert." Hikaru said as he flicked on their flat screen with the remote control. Kaoru snorted.

"No, he was young. His name sounded familiar too, he might know dad. I'm gonna crash upstairs. Tell mom that the store was closed." Kaoru said as he made his way toward the stairs. Hikaru rose the remote above his head in confirmation.

Kaoru shut the bedroom door quietly. He opened a window slightly to allow a breeze in, making note of how pale his skin looked in the cool light from the window, and grabbed an extra pillow from Hikaru's bed before collapsing onto his own queen sized comforter.

He sighed and closed his eyes. The sound of a light rain starting up once again trickled through his ears.

He fell into unconsciousness quickly, even thought the clock on the nightstand beside him read that it was only six thirty six.

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><p>Hikaru blew a strand of orange hair out of his face as he flicked through channels with no particular interest in anything on.<p>

He settled with a game show. Though a bright red headline flashed across the screen and the show was interrupted by a breaking news alert soon after. Hikaru groaned and twisted around on the couch in utter frustration.

He sat up and watched the television broadcast mournfully.

"We received news from the police only minutes ago."

_Probably another purse snatching. __**Who cares**__._

Hikaru paid attention to the report, however, when the next line was mentioned.

"A body was found in an alleyway by a popular fabric shop called _Fwaré. _Medics have released that the victim, yes, victim, as this death has been dubbed a murder, had been dead less than an hour when an owner from another local shop found the body."

"Oh my God." Hikaru breathed.

_What if alley creeper was more than just a creeper. Kaoru may have just spoken to a killer. This is crazy. He could have been killed. Just like that._

Hikaru swallowed hard.

_Kaoru could have been taken from me._

_"_Shut up, Hikaru. It could be a coincidence. I'm sure there are multiple alleyways near that shop." Hikaru whispered to himself.

"-if you saw anything suspicious around that area or if someone has information of any kind, please call the following number-" The newswoman blared. A phone number flashed onto the television screen.

Hikaru stared at the number on the screen with furrowed eyebrows.

He hesitated, then pulled out his cellphone.

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><p>Kaoru shot up in bed, a sudden noise startling him out of sleep. He rubbed his arm as his eyes adjusted. His room was dark, almost pitch black. Kaoru glanced at the digital clock beside him. It read ten twenty four at night. He looked across the room at his twin's bed. It was empty. That wasn't unusual, Hikaru was a night owl.<p>

_So who was nosing around his room?_

Kaoru gasped as the creak of a floorboard ripped through the silence of his bedroom. His eyes shot around the room. A dark shadow moved in the corner of his eye.

"Hikaru?" He whispered ever so softly. There was no answer.

He sunk into his bed and pulled up his covers like a child frightened by a noise in the night.

A breeze blew through Kaoru's soft orange hair. He looked to his window and froze. It was wide open.

**There it is, the start of a new crime/angst/brotherly fanfiction. Anyway, wow. I am way too obsessed with writing crime stuff. I love it so much though! I will probably write many crime books when I grow older, or maybe I'll just start now! Also, I apologize making this chapter so long, but it's just how it turned out when I rewrote it. It's slower going as well. I tried to make it quicker in the original chapter, but I didn't like it. Either way, Review lovelies.**


	2. Chapter 2

**THE REWRITTEN VERSION OF CHAPTER TWO. Em, Here. Read it, review it, and enjoy it please!**

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><p><em>Okay, either you're being attacked by a robber or you're being paranoid.<em>_** Again**__._

_Either way, you might want to go downstairs to get Hikaru._

Kaoru tensed, readying himself to get up from his bed.

He sucked in a breath and jumped from the covers, flying for the door.

The exit from his and his brother's room had never seemed so far.

He fully expected a hand to close over his mouth and pull him away from the door as he fumbled with the doorknob.

No such thing happened.

Kaoru made it safely through the door and safely down the stairs, even if he did almost trip on the last step.

He rushed into the living room and slid to a stop. The television was on and Hikaru was asleep on the sofa. Kaoru immediately jumped onto Hikaru's back, earning a yelp from the older twin as he flailed and fell to the floor.

Kaoru sat on the sofa with his knees against his chest, panting.

Hikaru groaned as he pushed himself from the floor with murder in his eyes.

"_Why_?"

"I think someone is in our room."

"_What?_" Hikaru's eyes grew huge and he stood and placed his hands firmly on Kaoru's shoulders.

"Are you serious?" Hikaru hissed. Kaoru nodded, startled.

Hikaru jumped over the couch and ran for the stairs, Kaoru in close pursuit.

They arrived at their bedroom. The door stood ajar.

Hikaru stepped hesitantly into the room. He pawed for the light switch and flooded the room with light. They saw nobody.

The window was shut tight.

"The window was open before." Kaoru said aloud as Hikaru was checking the walk-in closet.

Kaoru sighed and searched beneath both of their beds. Hikaru came from the closet.

"I think you might have been dreaming." Hikaru sighed, embarrassed that he had jumped to conclusions so quickly. The window in their room was two stories up. There was no way anyone could get up there.

"I don't know. I guess that could be it." Kaoru said downheartedly as he stood with one hand grasping his arm, obviously shaken.

Hikaru sighed and walked over to his little brother. Kaoru looked up at him, chewing on his lip, anxiety obvious in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Kaoru said, "You seemed really freaked out."

"It's fine. I was just scared because-" Hikaru watched as Kaoru's eye's found the floor once again, "Actually, I can tell you tomorrow. You seem tired."

Kaoru nodded and collapsed into Hikaru's bed. Hikaru chuckled and grabbed his stolen pillow from Kaoru's bed before hopping onto the space beside his brother. Hikaru pulled his thick and soft blanket up so it covered them both.

Kaoru sighed and closed his eyes, extremely happy that he wasn't alone.

Hikaru couldn't relax so easily. He couldn't help but think that Kaoru's "dream" was somehow related to the events that had transpired earlier in the day.

He had called the number on the television and had told them about Kaoru's interaction with a strange man near the alleyway.

Hikaru had no idea if anything would come of it, as the police had apparently received hundreds of calls all stating they had seen someone in an alley or something suspicious near a fabric shop. Officer Hakujo, the police officer Hikaru had been on the phone with, had told him that most of the calls they had received were obviously misleading or delusional.

Hikaru's call was most likely thought of as one of those calls. He hadn't given much detail after all.

Hikaru sighed and turned in his bed so he faced Kaoru.

He watched as Kaoru moved his lips and slid his arms out from under the covers so that they were resting above his pillow.

Hikaru propped himself up on his elbows to get a closer look at Kaoru's one arm. There was a deep scratch about thumb length that marred the porcelain skin of Kaoru's forearm.

_Where did he get that? He didn't have that before he went on his walk, I would have noticed. Did he have it when he came back? I can't remember._

Hikaru groaned and turned so he was on his back again.

_I don't know if I will be able to sleep tonight._

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><p><em>I don't think I'll be sleeping at all tonight.<em>

In another part of town, Lee Hakujo, _Officer_ Lee Hakujo, was laying awake in bed next to his sleeping wife.

Lee had been assigned to the recent murder case. Lee had only recently become a detective, so he had been surprised when he was assigned to such a high profile case.

_It was probably due to my high score on the exam._

Lee took a deep breath and shifted under his covers.

He couldn't stop thinking about the call he had received from Hikaru Hitachiin.

He had answered two hundred calls at least. Some where kids making idiotic prank calls, some were from paranoid adults with conspiracy theories. There were only a few that seemed completely honest and plausible. But the call from that kid named Hikaru just stood out.

_He sounded shaken. He seemed honestly convinced that his brother had had a near death experience with the killer. And his brother hadn't even known it. I think it's true._

_I have to visit the Hitachiin household in the morning._

_I have to check out this lead, even if it turns out to be false. For all I know, his brother could be the killer._

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><p><strong>Hmmmmmmm...I'm so tired lately. I literally just want to sleep. You know what I like? Shizaya. Thats my OTP. I should write a shizuoxizaya fanfic. That would be beautiful XD It's yaoi too, which I don't know if I can write. I literally will freak out with every word I type, so it could be difficult with all of my own fangirling. Darn.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

****URGENT IMPORTANT MESSAGE: I COMPLETELY REWROTE THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS. GO BACK AND READ THEM. SORRY IF YOU LIKED THEM. IF YOU DO NOT READ THEM YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THIS CHAPTER AT ALL. **

**ANYWAYS, I am sorry for the delay. I have discovered tumblr. That and Sherlock. I think that gives me good reason to go missing from fanfiction for a month. So sorry my lovelies. However, I have returned with renewed vigor and creativity! Good day! Read, review, and please do enjoy. **

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><p>Officer Hakujo glanced down at the slip of paper in his hand for the tenth time. The address written on the paper matched the address on the ornate plaque attached to the stone and metal gate before him.<p>

The double black metal gate was open wide.

Lee got back in his police cruiser and drove along a circular driveway that led up to an enormous white mansion.

_At least I know that the kid that called the station wasn't looking for media attention. I'm sure he gets enough as it is with this kind of money. _

Lee parked his car and got out with purpose. He jogged up the marble steps leading to the front door, which he rapped his knuckles against.

He waited.

_And waited._

_**And waited.**_

Finally, a woman wearing a bright white robe with a towel wrapped around her head answered the door.

"I don't know what I'm paying you for if I keep answering the door, Kira!" The woman yelled over her shoulder. She then turned to Lee and smiled.

Lee was a bit startled by her abruptness.

"Um, I'm sorry to disturb you ma'am. I am Officer Hakujo. Is Hikaru Hitachiin here?" Lee asked as he placed his hands behind his back. The woman narrowed her eyes.

"Why?"

"Hikaru called us with information concerning a case we're working."

"The Alley Cat Killer?"

"Is that what the reporters are calling him?" Officer asked with a sigh.

The woman huffed, obviously impatient with the young man.

"Hikaru hasn't said anything to me, so I doubt he actually has information. I think you have the wrong Hikaru. Either way, it doesn't matter. He's not here." She said, bluntly annoyed with the young detective.

"Where is he?"

"_Where else?_ He's at school." The woman said before promptly shutting the door in his face.

Lee groaned. He could tell that Hikaru was young from the call, but he had expected a kid maybe in his early twenties, not a kid still in high school.

He made his way back to his car, the afternoon sun beating down hard on his bare neck.

He rubbed his dark hair as he collapsed into the driver's seat. He was exhausted. He had barely gotten any sleep that night.

_This makes the possibility that it was just a prank call a lot more plausible. The younger a man is the more immature he will be. _

Lee sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. He adjusted his mirror and stuck his key in the ignition.

"I'll come back later." Lee stated aloud to nobody but himself.

He was determined to get answers.

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><p>He knew he had to find the answer.<p>

Hikaru had to know how Kaoru cut his arm. Sure, it was such a small detail...but it had been bothering him all day. He hadn't had a chance to ask as they were taking mid-terms, which left them no time to talk during class.

He doubted he had done well on his test.

He was too distracted.

Kaoru, on the other hand, didn't seem distracted at all. He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he was almost the next victim of a murder. Possibly, anyway. Kaoru would find out soon enough, though. Their mother would want to discuss it when they got home, or Kaoru would see it on the news.

_At least today is a half-day. I would have been driven to insanity if it hadn't been. I have a really strange feeling about that cut, I know it seems stupid, but I really do think it has something to do with Kaoru's encounter with that weird alley man. _

Hikaru went back to staring at the clock. There was only a minute left. Just one minute.

It seemed like an eternity.

The bell finally rang and Hikaru rushed over to Kaoru's desk. Kaoru was a little bit surprised at his brother's abrupt arrival.

"Do you have something to do after school or something?" Kaoru asked. Hikaru shook his head.

"I just wanted to ask you a question. When did you get that cut on your arm?" Hikaru asked, relieved he had finally gotten to ask about it.

Kaoru looked down at his arm in confusion. He ran a finger over the cut, which looked pretty nasty after just one night.

"Oh. Wow. That hurts. I don't know where I got it." He said before picking up his bag. Hikaru stared at his twin, dumbfounded.

Hikaru had been thinking of the possibilities all day.

_I thought that maybe the man he had talked with had threatened him with a knife and Kaoru was too scared to tell me. I thought maybe the man had chased him with a gun and Kaoru fell and cut himself. I thought that maybe the killer really **had** been in our room and had skimmed Kaoru with a knife as Kaoru ran out of the room to get me. But in actuality, he has no idea how he got it._

Hikaru snorted and picked up his own bag.

_How typical. Maybe he cut himself on the door or the staircase railing when he ran to get me. _

Kaoru watched as Hikaru walked from the classroom with an amused smirk on his face.

Kaoru hadn't told the whole truth.

Sure, he didn't know how he got it. But when? He knew a bit about the timeline.

_I remember noticing how pale my arms looked when I stretched them out to open the window a little. There wasn't a cut. I would have noticed. But when I woke up in our dark room, terrified, I do remember something else. I remember my arm aching like a bitch, probably from this cut. I suppose I could have scratched myself in my sleep. But it's hard to believe I could dig so deep with my nails without waking up._

Kaoru began to walk from the classroom.

_It doesn't matter. I just can't tell Hikaru. He's already so worried about me._

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><p>"We're home!" The twins called out as they entered their mansion. They were answered by no one but their maid Kira, who waved her feather duster in greeting.<p>

"Where'd mother go?" Hikaru asked. Akira told them that she had gone to an emergency meeting.

Kaoru sighed. Their mother was always gone.

They had barely dropped their school bags on the marble floor when there was a loud knocking at the door.

"I'll get it!" Kaoru called out to Akira. She chuckled. Hikaru rubbed his stomach and eyed the entrance to the kitchen.

Kaoru swung open the door to reveal a young man maybe in his late twenties, early thirties. His attire made him look older than he was. He was wearing a white dress shirt and nice black trousers with matching shoes. This guy looked very official. It made Kaoru uneasy.

"Hikaru?" The man asked. Kaoru narrowed his eyes. How did this guy know his brother?

"No, Kaoru. And _you are_?" Kaoru asked pleasantly, sarcasm only slightly sharpening his tone.

"My name is Lee Hakujo. I'm working the recent murder case, I'm sure you know which one."

"Erm, not really. Fill me in mister Holmes." Kaoru said with a grin. The officer narrowed his eyes at the younger boy. The man was obviously not appreciative of Kaoru's humor.

"I assume you are Hikaru's brother, so I'm surprised you aren't up to date on the case. It does involve you, after all. At least, that's what your brother told me on the phone."

Kaoru's face fell.

"What do you mean? Hikaru called you about me?" Kaoru asked worriedly, backing up a little. He was confused, extremely so.

The officer didn't answer. He seemed to be fixated on Kaoru's arm.

Kaoru shifted uncomfortably under the older man's harsh stare. He grabbed his cut arm with his other hand, feeling extremely exposed.

"Are you just going to stand there? What do you want?" Kaoru asked, sounding more confident than he was.

"Tell me Kaoru, where did you get that cut on your arm? It looks pretty painful." Lee said, his eyes narrowing ever so much.

"I don't know." Kaoru said defensively, making sure that his hand covered the cut.

Officer Lee seemed to contemplate his answer carefully, making Kaoru feel as if he had said something wrong.

"Your brother tells me that you were near the alley next to the store _Fwaré_ at around six yesterday. It's odd you were out in the storm_."_

"_Yeah_. What of it? Can you please explain to me what's going on? Why did my brother call you?!" Kaoru asked, exasperated. He glanced over his shoulder, looking for Hikaru, but his brother had wandered off to appease his growling stomach.

Lee smiled like a Cheshire cat.

"Hikaru tells me that you were speaking with a man near the alley. Did you maybe get into a disagreement or a struggle with that man? Maybe that's where you got that cut?"

"No! I have no clue how I got this cut! Why does that man matter?"

"We found a body, an unidentified male body, in the alley." The officer said with an air of implication. Kaoru opened his mouth, then shut it.

"Dean?" Kaoru whispered. Lee Hakujo leaned toward Kaoru like a bloodhound that had just caught scent of a trail.

"You knew the victim? His name was Dean?" Lee asked, not really waiting for an answer. Kaoru stared at the man before him dumbfounded, his mouth agape. He wasn't quite sure what was going on. He had never been so confused and unnerved in the entirety of his life.

Kaoru vaguely heard footsteps coming toward him from behind.

The man before Kaoru looked happy with the information he had received, however confused the informant was. Lee reached toward Kaoru.

"Kaoru, you're coming with me."

"No." Whispered Kaoru.

"What's going on here?" Hikaru asked as he pushed through the door to stand beside his brother, a half eaten apple in his hand. The officer closed a hand on Kaoru's arm and pulled him from the doorway.

"Kaoru Hitachiin, you have the right to remain silent-"

"What do you think you're doing? Are you insane?" Hikaru yelled as he stepped out of the doorway.

"-anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law-"

"No, no, no." Kaoru whispered as his brother screamed at the man pulling Kaoru's hands behind his back.

"-you have the right to an attorney, if you can't afford one, one will be appointed to you."

"You prick! He's not the killer, he _talked_ to the killer! I thought he would be called in as a witness not a fucking suspect!" Hikaru shrieked as cold metal was snapped shut over Kaoru's wrists.

"Do you understand your rights?" Kaoru was asked as he was pushed toward a police cruiser, his brother's screams almost inaudible to his hazy ears.

"No."

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><p><strong>IF YOU ARE CONFUSED BY THIS CHAPTER AND YOU IGNORED THE URGENT MESSAGE AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE I REPEAT, READ THE LAST TWO CHAPTERS AGAIN. I COMPLETELY REWROTE THEM. GOOD DAY. <strong>

**I don't know if I got the rights correct, but I watch law and order svu, so let's hope I did! Sorry for cursing at the end. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello. I give to you the next chapter. This story has such a slow beginning, but oh my gosh I'm so excited for what's in store. I have so much planned...XD**

**As always, read, review, and please do enjoy.**

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><p>"Are you going tell me what the <em>hell<em> is wrong with you?"

"Are you going to tell me how you knew the victim?" Lee shot back as he clenched and unclenched his hands on the steering wheel. Lee glared at an equally pissed off Kaoru through his rearview mirror.

"I barely even met him." Kaoru growled, leaning forward as far as he could go without the divider between them touching his nose.

Lee huffed and slowed abruptly, crushing Kaoru against the divider. Kaoru hissed and sat back.

_The damn cop didn't even buckle me in. It's not like I can do it myself. That bastard handcuffed me._

Kaoru groaned as the officer in the driver's seat continued down the road.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" Lee asked. Kaoru made a distressed sound and lightly banged his head against the divider in frustration.

The car slowed once again, pushing Kaoru's face flat against the divider for a second time.

"We've arrived at your new home." Officer Lee said with a smug smile.

"Haha, very _funny_. There's no way I'm staying overnight. As soon as my parents hear about this, I'll be out in minutes. I mean, do you even have probable cause for arresting me?" Kaoru asked as Officer Lee opened the driver's side door.

The door beside Kaoru flew open and he was pulled out with force.

"I have all the cause I need." Lee said as he slammed the door closed behind Kaoru.

Kaoru snorted.

_In other words, he has no probable cause what so ever. His superior is going to have his ass for this. There's no way this is lawful._

Kaoru was hauled into the police station, his face pink as he was dragged through the double glass doors. There were a few civilians and a group of police officers near reception. They all looked to him when he came in.

Kaoru bowed his head so his orange locks shielded his eyes.

He was embarrassed.

Being arrested and getting practically carried into a police station wasn't exactly his cup of tea.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you can't get out of the meeting?" Hikaru asked as he held his cell to his ear.<p>

"This is very important, Hikaru. Kaoru can wait." His father responded through the phone.

"Oh, wow, thanks a lot dad. You're a really great parent." Hikaru said sarcastically, barely able to hide the hurt in his voice. He hung up on his father with a growl.

_What a bastard. I don't need him, anyway. Mom will help Kaoru_.

Hikaru dialed his mother's number and she answered on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Mom-"

"Darling, you know not to call me at work."

"Mom!"

"I'll be out of this meeting soon doll, can't this wait until-"

"Mom, listen! This cop detective guy came to our house and took Kaoru!"

"What? _A man took Kaoru? Did you call the police?"_ She asked, her voice shrill.

"No, _mom_, the _police_ took him. Kaoru was arrested."

"Oh. This is outrageous! I can't believe...actually, now that I think about it, there was a young police man at the house earlier. He said he needed to see you. I was rather rude to him, actually, but I was in a hurry."

"That's the same one, I'm guessing. How soon can you be at the station? I'm going to be there in a few minutes, I'm in a car right now."

"I'm sorry sweetie, the soonest I can be there is in maybe an hour and a half. I have to finish my meeting. I'll be there as soon as possible! Take care of your brother."

"Mom, wait-"

The line was dead. She had hung up.

Hikaru sighed sadly and sat forward, urging his driver to speed up.

Hikaru rubbed his hand along the buttons on his cell, trying to distract himself from the lump in his throat forming from the betrayal he felt.

His parents were acting like they didn't care.

"We've arrived, sir." Hikaru's driver announced.

Hikaru cleared his throat and composed himself before jumping swiftly out of the car, his eyes dead set on the double glass doors that were the entrance to the station.

* * *

><p>Kaoru stared at the mirror that he knew was one way glass, making sure to force all of his annoyance and anger into his murderous glare.<p>

He hoped he was staring that stupid officer down.

He jumped when the door of the small room opened suddenly. Two people came in, officer sherlock idiot, and a man he didn't recognize.

Officer Lee stood against the glass while the other man sat across the table Kaoru sat at, his one wrist handcuffed to the chair he sat on.

The man leaned forward and smiled slightly. He was old and hard looking, like an ex-marine. But he seemed kinder than officer idiot. Kaoru felt hopeful.

"Hello Kaoru. My name is Police Comissioner Shizuka. And you've already met my colleague-"

"Officer Lee." Officer idiot finished. The commissioner chuckled.

"Lee, have you forgotten your recent promotion?" He asked as he turned to face Lee.

Lee turned a little pink in the cheeks.

"Uh, r-right sir. My apologies." He said before turning to Kaoru and saying,

"That's _detective_ Lee to you."

"I never said you aren't." Kaoru muttered.

"You have something to say pretty boy?" _Detective_ Lee asked combativly.

_Pretty boy?_

"Oh, I have something I want to say. Like maybe how you wrongfully accused me of murder or how you unlawfully arrested me." Kaoru spat at the detective, who grimaced.

"I saw you as a threat to society. You had obviously just committed a murder, and there were several people in that house with you. Any one of them could have been your next victim. I wouldn't be surprised if you already killed that sweet mother of yours-"

"Shut up! Don't talk to me about my mother you sick bastard! You have no evidence! You're just trying to impress your boss! I haven't killed anyone!" Kaoru yelled back, pulling his hand away from the chair and trying to slip it out of the restraint.

Lee opened his mouth to say more, but the commissioner raised a hand to stop him.

"I think it's best if you leave, Lee." The commissioner stated. Lee opened his mouth as if to retort, but seemed to think better of it. He sighed, shot one last furious look at Kaoru, and left the room with a slam of the door.

The commissioner turned back to Kaoru. He calmly put his hands on the table.

"I really have nothing to do with this, sir." Kaoru pleaded, all sarcasm annoyance gone from his voice. The commissioner sighed and shifted in his seat.

"You know Kaoru, there were small traces of blood under the victims fingernails. We have the killer's DNA. If you give us yours, we can clear you."

Kaoru squirmed in his chair.

"I don't like needles."

The commissioner smiled.

"There aren't any. We just need you to swab your mouth."

"Oh. Okay, yeah, I'll do it. I have nothing to hide." Kaoru responded, thankful that he would be able to prove his innocence once and for all.

The commissioner reached into his pocket and brought out a plastic cylinder containing a cotton swab. He opened it and handed it to Kaoru, who stabbed his cheek and put it back into the container before screwing on the cap.

The commissioner smiled warmly and walked from the room with the swab, leaving Kaoru to sit and wait for freedom.

The door opened shortly after.

"Wait, you can't go in there-"

Kaoru smiled in relief as he recognized the fluffy orange head of his older brother.

Hikaru smiled back and closed the door. He then grabbed a chair that sat against the wall and shoved it under the handle.

"The door doesn't lock." Hikaru said as someone began to pound on the door.

Kaoru laughed loudly and Hikaru snickered in return.

"So, how's the food in the clink?" Hikaru joked as the pounding stopped. The one or two police officers had given up.

"Mediocre at best." Kaoru chuckled, "Where's mom and dad?"

Hikaru cleared his throat and smiled forcefully.

"Ah, they're going to be here. They both sounded so worried on the phone."

"Really? That's unlike them. At least, it's unlike dad." Kaoru muttered more to himself than anybody else.

Hikaru grin flickered but didn't leave his face. He sat down in the commissioner's chair.

"I should probably call the lawyer to get you out of here." Hikaru sighed as he pulled out his cell. Kaoru furrowed his eyebrows.

"I thought mom and dad were almost here." He said. Hikaru averted his amber eyes and said,

"They're trying to be here, but they, ah, said that there's a ton of traffic." Hikaru lied. Kaoru pursed his lips and stared at Hikaru accusingly.

Hikaru was saved from further questioning from his brother when detective Lee burst into the room, a sour look on his face.

"Hey, look Kaoru, it's your brother. He's the great guy who turned you in. We've got a suspect thanks to him. Anyway, the commish says you're free to go until we get the results of the test from the lab." Lee droned. Kaoru sneered at officer idiot.

He then sighed and strut from the room, followed closely by Hikaru.

He made sure to stare the detective down as he passed by him.

"These people are crazy." Hikaru said as they walked out of the building and into the cold late winter air, causing him to shiver and rub his hands together for warmth.

"Hmm."

"What's the matter?"

Kaoru didn't answer.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No." Kaoru said way too shortly.

"If you have a problem, tell me." Hikaru said bluntly as he slid into their sleek black car. Kaoru slid after him and shut the door with more force than necessary.

"Take us home." Kaoru said to the driver, who nodded.

* * *

><p>"Wait!"<p>

Kaoru turned slowly, stopping his ascent up the stairs leading to the second floor of their mansion.

"If you're mad because I called the station, I'm sorry. I was trying to help." Hikaru tried. Kaoru narrowed his eyes.

"Help? You were trying to help? You turned me in to the police!"

"I was trying to protect you!"

"By getting me arrested? " Kaoru asked in exasperation.

Hikaru huffed and moved closer to the staircase.

"How was I supposed to know they were going to arrest you?!"

"I don't know, maybe you would have known if you had used that thing in your head called a _brain_!" Kaoru yelled.

"I was! I thought you had almost been killed! What else could I do?"

"Not what you did!"

"Too late now!"

"You have no idea what you've done. Who knows what my being arrested means for my future. I have a record now. They took a mug shot, Hikaru! _A mug shot_."

"Oh God! Why do you even care, I bet you loved the attention of getting your _picture _taken!" Hikaru yelled sarcastically.

"SHUT UP! You're just jealous because mom and dad are paying so much attention to me!" Kaoru yelled as he began to walk up the stairs once again.

Hikaru laughed humorously, anger burning deep in his stomach.

"They weren't even coming to get you! _They didn't give a shit that you were arrested! They don't care about you_!" Hikaru screamed without thinking.

He regretted it as soon as it left his lips.

Kaoru stared at his brother with wide eyes and his mouth open slightly.

Hikaru was just as shocked as the younger twin.

Hikaru was breathing heavily, and he realized that his hands were clenched.

He relaxed them. Kaoru looked down at his shoes.

"Fine." Kaoru said simply, his voice cracking slightly.

He began to walk up the stairs once more, more quietly, more slowly, almost as if he were afraid to make noise.

"Kaoru," Hikaru said softly, "I am so-"

"Whatever." Kaoru said ever so quietly. Then he disappeared.

_Kaoru, I'm so so sorry_.

"What is wrong with me?"

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, Hikaru is being a butt. Why is he so stressed? Anyways, I love you guys. Goodbye.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry guys, I was gonna get this in yesterday, but I had a panic attack. Yay me. T.T Any who, this chapter starts a little slow, but oh boy have I got something good for you guys at the end! Muahahaha. Read, review, and enjoy my little love bugs.**

* * *

><p>"Lee, you are really, <em>really <em>pushing it. Do you realize that you've made a mockery of us?"

"I'm very sorry commissioner, I just…I went with my gut, just like you told me." Detective lee said as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The commissioner was sitting across from Lee, leaning over his enormous mahogany desk.

The commissioner sighed and leaned back, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I know, Lee. But you know that what you did was wrong. You went against the law, Lee. You ignored regulations. I could have your badge for this." The commissioner said. Lee swallowed nervously.

"But, I've known you for a while, Lee. I know what a great officer you are, and I understand why you brought the boy in. So I'll let you off this time."

Lee smiled and stood, grabbing the commissioner's hand and shaking it.

"Thank you very much sir, I promise this kid is-"

"Stop. Don't get ahead of yourself. Just wait for the lab results. Until then, leave the kid alone." The commissioner said. Lee nodded and left the room quickly.

_Wow, I can't believe I got off scot free. I'm going to owe the commissioner for this._

Lee strut past his coworkers and into the locker room where all officers kept their regular clothing while in uniform. He opened his locker and stared at the pictures taped to the rusted metal door.

He had three pictures. One was of his beautiful wife, which he looked at lovingly.

Another was a picture of Lee and his younger brother, and the last was just his brother. Lee sighed sadly and shut his locker, feeling more determined than ever to put Kaoru Hitachiin behind bars.

* * *

><p>Kaoru sighed as he lazily pulled his shirt off with one hand, the cloth sticking to his back because of the steam from his shower.<p>

He looked at the mirror and rubbed away the mist so he could see himself.

It made him sad to see his own face.

It was Hikaru's face.

Kaoru sighed again as he placed his hands firmly on the edges of the sink.

He wasn't upset with Kaoru, or mad. He had been a little hurt at first, but he had let that go when he realized what Hikaru had really been shouting.

He hadn't been shouting "They don't care about you."

He had been shouting "They don't care about us."

And he was right.

_He could have put it more kindly, though._

But it still saddened Kaoru to know his brother felt the same way about their parents as Kaoru did. Kaoru despised their parents.

_They're always too busy, too tired, too disappointed. They don't even bother to check up on us._

Kaoru sneered at himself in the mirror, the mist beginning to cover his reflection once again.

He groaned and shimmied off his pants before edging into the hot shower.

_Sure, I despise them. And yes, I also love them. I don't have to like them to love them._

The scalding droplets soaked into Kaoru's muscles, allowing him to realize how tense he had really been.

_That arrest really got to me. At least I'll be cleared completely once the DNA results come back. It's ridiculous that mom and dad didn't even come for me right away._

Kaoru scratched the scab forming over the cut on his arm.

_But if they don't start making an effort_, Kaoru thought as water streamed over his face.

_That little bit of love I have for them may just evaporate._

"Ow."

Kaoru looked down at his arm and winced. He had accidentally opened up the wound.

He watched, entranced, as red blood seeped into the water running smoothly off of his body and then flowed slowly into the drain.

* * *

><p>"OW! Jesus, are you trying to kill me?"<p>

"I'm sorry Hikaru, just hold still." Mrs. Hitachiin said, her words muffled by a sewing needle in her mouth.

Hikaru was standing on a pedestal with his arms out, his mother making final adjustments to his suit. The entire family was going to attend the gala that evening, so Mrs. Hitachiin had to make sure her babies looked absolutely perfect.

"I still don't get why we have to go to some stupid ball. It's not even for us, it's for old business people who have nothing better to do than brag about money to inflate their egos." Hikaru groaned. His mother frowned.

"Don't talk like that. This is very important to your father." She said as she tightened a stitch. Hikaru scoffed.

"Don't give me that face, young man. Your father's boss is hosting this party. Be on your best behavior for Mr. Harding, alright." She scolded. Hikaru sighed.

_Whatever. I hate this. I'm sure Kaoru doesn't want to go after what happened the other day._

Hikaru grimaced.

_He's probably still upset with me. I can't believe I was so horrible. I don't know why I was so angry with him. He didn't do anything. I'm the one who got him arrested in the first place._

"Look straight, Hikaru."

"Sorry."

His mother then proceeded to stick him a few more times with a pin, which pulled a few more obscenities from his mouth.

"Where is Kaoru? I need to make the final adjustments to his suit next."

"I think he's taking a shower." Hikaru said quietly. _Actually, I haven't seen him all day. I hope he's not wallowing in misery. It's my fault if he is. I should find him and apologize._

"Hey mom, I'm ready to be fitted."

Hikaru looked up to see Kaoru leaning against the door frame, his hair dark from dampness.

"Sure sweetie. I'll go get your suit." Their mother said as she walked elegantly from the room.

Kaoru walked toward Hikaru, who had a difficult time looking his brother in the eye.

"So…um…" Hikaru tried. Kaoru cocked one eyebrow. Hikaru cleared his throat.

"Would it help if I told you that I'm very, _very_ sorry and I hate myself for being an ass and I will be your servant for the next week?" Hikaru asked as he pleaded with his hands for forgiveness. Kaoru smirked.

"Two."

"What?"

"Two weeks. You will serve my every beck and call for the next _two_ weeks."

Hikaru mirrored his brother's smirk.

"You evil child, you. Fine. I'll do it." Hikaru said. Kaoru grinned cheekily and put his hands on his hips.

"But I refuse to do anything disgusting." Hikaru added.

"It's a deal." Kaoru said. Hikaru stepped down from the podium as Kaoru stepped up.

"I really am sorry Kaoru, I didn't mean anything I said." Hikaru sighed at he looked his brother straight in the eyes.

"I know you are." Kaoru said, the smile slipping off his face. Then it returned, this time looking a bit pained.

"The ball is going to be interesting." He said.

"Tonight is going to be horrible."

"Terrible, yes. Boring, yes. But just imagine the fulfilling socialization we'll get to take part in!" Kaoru said sarcastically.

"Oh, yes! How I do love pointless banter and useless small talk!"

"Boys, calm down the sarcasm." Their mother said as she re-entered the room. The twins choked on their laughter.

"I want none of that talk during the gala tonight."

"Yes, my lady." They both said in unison. Their mother sighed.

* * *

><p>"Ew."<p>

"Exactly what I was thinking."

"Boys, what did I tell you?"

"Not to say anything bad about the party. We know." Hikaru said as he surveyed the room.

There were maybe sixty people in the ballroom, all of them dressed in their finest. Most of them were men, but there were plenty of women as well.

Extravagant tables piled with fine dishes of food lined the edges of the dance floor, which was only being used for mingling at that moment. A small orchestra was set up in the corner and they were playing classical music very softly.

"Ah, there's your father, boys. Let's go greet him." Their mother said, her hands firmly grasping both of their arms so they could not escape. The twins exchanged devastated glances.

Their father was standing with a few other stern looking men. Mr. Hitachiin had his dark hair slicked back and was wearing a black tux and a dark red tie that matched Mrs. Hitachiin's gown.

"Hello, dear. I must admit, this ballroom is far more beautiful than I could have ever imagined." Mrs. Hitachiin chimed with a charming smile. Mr. Hitachiin interlocked his arm with hers.

"Ah, thank you very much Mrs. Hitachiin. I could say the same about your beauty." An older man said. Kaoru took in his appearance with amusement. The man looked like an old American gangster. He was big, with a hard face and a big belly. Kaoru had the erg to stick a cigar in the man's mouth.

"Oh, you flatter me Mr. Harding. Have you met our sons, Hikaru and Kaoru?" Their mother asked sweetly. Mr. Harding eyed them thoughtfully before offering them both a handshake.

"I don't believe I have. It's great to meet you lads. I've heard you're both hardworking young men, is that true?"

Mr. Hitachiin chuckled tonelessly.

"Hardly. They're just boys, really." He said before either of his sons could respond.

Hikaru looked annoyed, but Kaoru didn't have time to think about that.

Something had just struck him.

_Harding._

Why did that name set off alarms in his head?

_Wait! I know. Harding is-_

"Hello, Mrs. Hitachiin, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Kaoru looked up at the new arrival and gasped.

"Dennis! You look well, how have you been?" Mrs. Hitachiin exclaimed.

"I've been just as I look, well and perfect."

"Dean!" Kaoru shouted, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. Dean looked at him with surprise.

"The name's Dennis, actually. Dennis Harding." Dennis said.

"But-but-no…no you're Dean. You're supposed to be-" Kaoru choked as Hikaru looked at him with worry.

"I assure you, Kaoru. My name is not Dean, it is Dennis. I'm not surprised you have forgotten it, we only spoke for a moment the other day."

"But-"

"Oh, so you two have met? When did that occur?" Mrs. Hitachiin asked as Kaoru stared at Dennis.

"A few days back, I believe. We bumped into each other and struck up a conversation." Dennis said smoothly.

"Yeah, but we met when-"

"Hush, child. Be quiet." Mr. Hitachiin said sternly with a glare. Kaoru stopped speaking and instead looked to his shoes. Their parents continued the conversation while Hikaru tried to get some answers from his younger brother with no avail.

Instead, Kaoru excused himself and found his way to the bathrooms, which were down a long hallway. Kaoru was relieved to find nobody around. He leaned against the wall next to the bathroom door and sighed.

_What the hell is going on around here? How is he still alive? Why did he lie about his name? What if…what if he has something to do with the murder?_

"Kaoru, what are you doing? You shouldn't be back here. You're all alone, and it's dark in this hallway, almost like an alley. And you never know what to expect in alleyways, do you? Anything could happen." Dennis Harding said softly from beside him.

* * *

><p><strong>Uh oh that man has some bad vibes, does he not? Until next time darlings!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, sorry for the wait! But I am here now, so don't you worry my lovelies. Read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"<em>What?"<em> Kaoru hissed.

Dennis looked at him in confusion.

"Oh, I guess you haven't heard? There was a murder in one of the alleyways near where we talked a few days ago. Crazy, right?" Dennis asked, his expression growing serious. Kaoru eyed him carefully and relaxed a little.

"Yeah, I heard."

Dennis looked at watched Kaoru, waiting for more of an explanation.

Kaoru sighed and said,

"Look, you seem nice, but I'm still confused. Why did you say your name was dean if it's Dennis?"

Dennis shifted farther into the shadows and moved a little closer to Kaoru, who tensed.

"I really am sorry about that, but the thing is, I was alone with a strange boy during a rainstorm. It's not like I trusted you, especially with something as important as a name." Dennis said, his tone kind as he backed up a little, obviously picking up on Kaoru's tense posture.

Kaoru narrowed his eyes but thought he believed it. It was true; he hadn't really trusted Dennis when they had first met, so why would Dennis have trusted him?

_I'm not going to trust him completely, but honestly, this guy can't be dangerous. There's just no…I don't know, there's no malice in him._

_I can't believe I thought he might have been the one who-_

"I'm sorry if I've frightened you Kaoru, I really didn't mean to make you distrust me because of that little lie. I really was trying to be safe conscious. You should come back to the party soon, I think you're brother is about to call the police to report you missing." Dennis stated before turning and walked down the hallway into the ballroom.

Kaoru sighed and allowed himself to relax, realizing how tense he had truly been.

He opened the bathroom door and walked in, standing in front of the mirror. He splashed some water into his face before straightening his suit and walking out.

The rest of the night was tedious. Kaoru was asked many questions by his worried brother and was forced to partake in small talk with people he didn't give a damn about.

"When will this night be over?" He whispered to himself.

* * *

><p>Hikaru was getting pretty creeped out.<p>

Kaoru seemed to be having a boring but okay time at the ball.

But Kaoru didn't seem to notice the staring.

Dennis wasn't the one looking over at Kaoru every few minutes.

It was Mr. Harding, their father's boss, who kept glancing their way from across the room.

_Maybe he wants to offer us an apprenticeship or something._

_Whatever he wants, he's being creepy._

* * *

><p>"That was awful." Hikaru breathed as he walked through his front door.<p>

"I concur." Kaoru said as pawed for a light switch.

"Don't talk like that." Their mother said as she walked on her loud high heels to a table so she could put her clutch down.

"It's true." Kaoru said as he collapsed onto a lounge, pulling his tie off with one hand and unbuttoning his vest with the other.

"Do as your mother says." Mr. Hitachiin said sternly. Hikaru huffed and sat beside his brother.

"Besides," Their father started, "He has a proposition for the both of you."

"Let me guess. An apprenticeship." Hikaru droned. His father looked at him with annoyance.

"Precisely. And you will both accept. This is a golden opportunity." Mr. Hitachiin said as he began to ascent up the staircase.

"Whatever." The twins whispered in unison. Neither of them even wanted to go into their father's line of work. But their father didn't care what they wanted.

He cared about what _he_ wanted.

* * *

><p>"This is where you have to foil." The algebra teacher said as she scratched equations on the chalkboard.<p>

Most of the class was asleep, including Kaoru, but two students were enveloped in an intense whispered conversation.

"What the hell has been going on? I've heard some crazy rumors, and neither of you have texted or called in days." Haruhi whispered. Hikaru sighed.

"It's been weird lately, alright?"

"_Weird_? Hikaru, the rumors vary from Kaoru being a murderer to him being a near victim. What's the truth?"

Hikaru looked over at his sleeping brother, who looked more peaceful than he had in a few days. Hikaru only then realized that Kaoru had been shaken by the events that had transpired.

"Basically, long story short, I accidentally got him arrested for murder." Hikaru whispered.

Haruhi raised an eyebrow.

"_How?"_

"Well, he went to get fabric from the store near our house, and when he came back he was a little weirded out because some rich guy that was skulking around in an alley came out and talked to him before riding off in a limo. Then he went to bed and I watched the news. It said that a body was found in an alley near that very store, so I called the number on screen to tell them I thought Kaoru had some information."

"Do you think the guy he talked to was the killer?"

"I don't know, but that's what I thought when I called. But they took it as Kaoru being the killer. This crazy psycho cop came to our house and arrested him."

"Oh. I guess Kaoru wasn't too happy about that."

"Yeah, he wasn't happy with the police or me. We got into a big fight when he got back, but-"

Haruhi looked at Hikaru, wondering why he had stopped his story.

Hikaru had stopped talking because he was trying to listen to another conversation.

A conversation his algebra teacher was having outside the classroom with someone who looked a lot like a police officer.

"What's the matter, Hikaru?" Haruhi asked.

"There's a policeman…but why should they be bothering him still? They found the attacker's blood under the nails of the victim. They ran a test. Kaoru should be cleared."

"Maybe…nevermind." Haruhi said. Hikaru's head snapped around to look at her.

"No, what were you going to say?" Hikaru asked harshly. Haruhi looked at him dead in the eye and said,

"Maybe it was a match."

Hikaru swallowed and looked at Kaoru, who was still sleeping peacefully on his desk.

"There's no way." Hikaru said. Haruhi nodded.

"You're probably right."

The word _probably_ rung clear in Hikaru's head.

The police officer entered the room. Some of Hikaru's classmates began to wake up and looked at the officer in confusion.

Kaoru remained in his peaceful slumber.

"I'm looking for Kaoru Hitachiin." The man said. Hikaru narrowed his eyes.

"Why?" Hikaru hissed. The officer walked his way.

"I have an arrest warrant."

"_Why?" _

"What do you mean, why?"

"_Why is he being arrested?"_

"Because he's lousy murdering scum, that's why." The police officer said with a nasty smile as he reached toward the slumbering boy. Hikaru slapped his hand away, stood quickly, and moved in front of his brother's sleeping form.

The officer looked at him dangerously.

"I could have you arrested for assaulting a police officer, but I'll let it pass. I understand that accepting your brother as a murderer is difficult, but it's the truth. Now, move aside."

Hikaru's eyes were murderous as he snarled at the large man before him.

"_You don't have any evidence."_

"Oh, we don't? That's funny, because this warrant states that we found the DNA of your brother under the nails of the victim. So move aside." The officer pushed the stunned Hikaru out of the way and grabbed Kaoru's arm. Kaoru woke up suddenly, very confused that a large man was grasping his forearm.

Kaoru looked at Hikaru, who was looking back at his little brother with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"What's going on?" Kaoru choked. His classmates were staring at him with wide eyes, disgust and horror written plainly across their faces.

"_Hikaru? What happening?" _Kaoru shrieked. He looked at Haruhi, who wasn't meeting his eyes.

"You have the right to remain silent-

"_Why won't anybody tell me what's going on?"_

"Anything you say or do will be held-"

"Hikaru, please!"

"You have the right to an attorney-"

"I don't understand." Kaoru yelled as panic filled his eyes. Metal was snapped around his wrists.

"Do you understand your rights?"

"Please," Kaoru pleaded with his brother, "Help me."

Hikaru looked up at Kaoru with glassy eyes filled with distrust.

"Is it true? Did you do it?" Hikaru asked.

Kaoru gasped as he nearly crumbled to the floor from his disorientation. It felt like the ground had been ripped from underneath him.

"Come on, on your feet Alley cat." The police officer said as he began to drag the youngest Hitachiin twin from the room.

"_Please."_ Kaoru choked as tears filled his eyes. Hikaru watched him as he pleaded.

"Help me."

* * *

><p>Kaoru was in a daze as he was pushed through the entrance to the police station.<p>

Officers stopped what they were doing to stare at the boy that was nearly having a panic attack.

Kaoru was confused and he was scared.

He felt as if he were in a dream.

The police officer that had a strong grip on his handcuffed arm stopped, which forced Kaoru to stop as well. The station seemed to quiet down as the police commissioner's office door opened.

Two people came from the room, both of them smiling and talking loudly.

"I'm happy I could get that parking violation cleared up." Dennis said as he clapped the commissioner on the back. The commissioner chuckled and said,

"No problem, it was our mistake."

"Dennis!" Kaoru nearly screamed. Dennis looked up at him, startled.

"Dennis," Kaoru said with a relieved smile," It's me, it's Kaoru! Tell them, Dennis! Tell them they have the wrong guy! Tell them you were with me the night of the murder, Dennis! Tell them I couldn't have done it!"

Dennis looked at him, confusion written across his face, and said,

"I'm so sorry, you must be confused; I've never seen you before in my entire life."

* * *

><p><strong>Haha hahaha ha ha. Ha. Yeah. HEY, SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF FINLEE AS IN FINN X MARSHALL LEE BECAUSE I THINK ITS SO CUTE I COULD DIE! Also, review if you are able! I don't know what unable would be...maybe if you're arms are broken or if there's a man in your house with a gun at your head saying, "If you review, you die." Haha. I am way to tired to be doing this right now...<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Haha. Hey. I just realized how long it's been since I updated. It's been over a month. Wow. ..T.T Please forgive me. I love you all. **

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><p>"You really shouldn't sass him like that."<p>

"What do you expect me to do?"

"Kiss his ass."

"No. He's an obnoxious jerk."

"Well, he thinks _you _are an obnoxious jerk, so you can't exactly blame him for his behavior."

Kaoru sighed. "Fine, I'll try to be less annoying toward a stalker policeman who has it out for me. Fantastic." He grimaced. "What's your name, anyway?"

The guy sitting before Kaoru gave him a wry smile.

"Call me Fish."

Kaoru snorted. "Seriously? How'd you earn that nickname? Could you swim the ten yards in grade school?"

"No, I swam the English channel." He said.

"Liar."

"Sue me." Fish said as he spread his legs and sat back in his chair.

Kaoru sighed and resumed pacing the cell.

Yes, that's right, _cell_.

Kaoru had been shoved into an overnight cell at the back of the station with some random stranger. He had been in there for about six hours, at least according to the clock that hung on the wall outside the metal bars of his cage. It read 5:36 PM.

And his cellmate was…interesting.

Kaoru wasn't sure if Fish was in his early twenties or teens, but he could've passed for either. His hair was dark, long, and shaggy, like it hadn't felt a brush in years.

His smile was mischievous and intelligent, and his five o'clock shadow only added to his delinquent appearance.

Kaoru wasn't sure what he was in for, but he seemed at home, as if he came to that cell often.

_What does it matter anyway? I'm in jail. I'm sure I'll be prosecuted. Hikaru…_

Kaoru winced.

_Hikaru doesn't even believe I'm innocent. _

"What's the matter?" Fish asked. Kaoru realized he had stopped pacing.

"Nothing." Kaoru sighed as he sat down heavily onto the bottom bunk.

Fish watched him with amusement.

"So. What did you do to get in here? Were you caught with a fake ID or something?" Fish asked.

Kaoru narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "No."

"Then what?"

"I haven't done anything. I've been _accused _of doing something."

"That's what they all say." Fish said.

"But_ I'm_ not lying."

Fish raised his eyebrows. "You swear?"

"I swear."

"Alright then. What were you accused of?" Fish asked. Kaoru hesitated then said,

"Murder."

Fish didn't appear to be phased. He just gave Kaoru a slight smile before saying,

"Tough."

"What are_ you_ in here for?" Kaoru asked, his spirits lifting. This guy who he had just met, a total stranger, believed him. At least somebody did.

_But then again…Hikaru doesn't believe me, but this guy does…what kind of brother- no, I can't think like that. This must be hard on Hikaru too. He's just…confused. _

"Public urination." Fish stated proudly. Kaoru smiled uncomfortably.

"Seriously?" He asked.

"When you gotta go, you gotta go."

Kaoru jumped as the door to the cell area was pushed open.

Detective Lee strode in, a sour look planted on his face. He was towing a middle aged man beside him. Lee opened Kaoru and Fish's cell door and shoved the man inside. Kaoru was hit with the rancid stink of alcohol, apparently radiating from the grubby newcomer.

"Public intoxication, I presume." Fish said as he stood with a bow. Lee frowned and shut the door, locking it quickly as if he were afraid Fish would jump out.

The drunken man teetered over to the bunk and fell into Kaoru's shoulder. Kaoru wrinkled his nose as the stink burned his nostrils. He pushed the man away, stood, and moved toward the chair where Fish was seated.

He heard a satisfied humph from Lee.

"I hope you like your new cellmate, Hitachiin. An officer found him wandering the jungle gym at Kurokoro Park, a bottle of gin in hand. He was scaring the children, so the officer brought him in. Good thing, too, since it turns out he's a registered child sex offender." Lee stated with glee.

Kaoru glowered at the gloating detective.

_You have to be kidding me. He's really trying to make my life hell. _

Lee continued. "He's dangerous, really. He gets much too handsy with the younger ones when he's intoxicated-"

"Oh that's quite alright Mr. Lee, I can keep young Kaoru from pedo-bear's claws." Fish said as he slung an arm around Kaoru's shoulders.

"You look like you're a kid yourself." Kaoru scoffed. Fish pouted.

"What do you mean? I'm thirty five."

"Liar."

"Sue me."

Lee growled and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Kaoru called as he shrugged Fish from his shoulders and rushed forward. He grabbed the bars of his cell hard and yelled, "Aren't you going to question me? I need to explain!"

Lee sneered. "We don't have to do anything until we're ready. Have fun with your new cell mate." Lee turned and opened the door to the rest of the station.

"What about my phone call?" Kaoru yelled. Lee paused and sighed. He turned and walked back so he stood before Kaoru. Kaoru released the bars.

"Do you really think there's anyone who can help you now?" Lee asked. Kaoru clenched his hands.

"Just let me have my phone call."

* * *

><p>"I don't understand. I just don't understand. Why didn't I do anything?" Hikaru whispered. He lay on his bed, staring at his ceiling with blurry eyes as he ran his fingers through his hair, not quite sure what to do with himself.<p>

His brother was arrested. In jail.

Hikaru had watched as his brother was dragged away in handcuffs. And he hadn't even tried to help get him back.

What kind of brother was he?

Hikaru groaned and shut his eyes tight.

He could hear his parents arguing downstairs. His mother was most likely trying to persuade his father to use all of their money in Kaoru's defense. But Hikaru knew his father. That man wouldn't spend much on anything that didn't benefit him.

"I'm an idiot. I should go down to the station right now and clear thing up." Hikaru said aloud. But he didn't move.

He didn't move an inch. Because although he loved Kaoru and wanted to believe completely and truly that he was innocent, he didn't.

A tiny voice residing at the back of his mind couldn't help but whisper: _What if?_

* * *

><p>"You don't really think it could be true, do you?" Tamaki asked.<p>

He and Haruhi were walking through Kurokoro Park. They had met up to discuss the recent events, and Tamaki wasn't taking them so well.

"I don't know what to think." Haruhi sighed. Tamaki frowned and looked at his feet.

"I'm sorry, but it's true. This happened so suddenly, you know?" She said.

"Yeah, but…this is Kaoru. _Kaoru_, Haruhi. He's not capable of something like that." Tamaki tried. They passed a couple of kids riding bicycles.

"Tamaki, does anybody ever think someone's capable of something like this? No. Nobody expects the killer to be a killer. It's almost always a surprise."

Tamaki groaned. "Yeah, but…It just doesn't make any sense."

Haruhi sighed tried to look hopeful. "You know what? This is probably all a big misunderstanding, so don't worry about it, okay? Just go home and rest. It'll be fine." Haruhi said. Tamaki nodded slowly.

"Okay. I guess I'll just go home and wait to see what happens...Thanks, Haruhi. I'll see you." He said glumly before turning and walking back toward the entrance to the park.

Haruhi sighed and sat on a bench. She was exhausted and so confused. Her head felt heavy and fuzzy, like an old television set that couldn't quite grab onto the satellite. She didn't understand how somebody so close to her could be accused of something so horrible.

She watched as couples and groups of laughing kids walked past her, all of them enjoying the sun. It was a nice day that she couldn't enjoy.

_I wish I could be that carefree right now. _

"Yes, sir, you don't have to worry, Kaoru…"

Haruhi sat straight up and looked around. A man about ten feet away was talking on a cell phone. She'd been alerted by Kaoru's name, but it had to be someone else-

"I promise, there's no possibility that he will be acquitted. He will be charged with murder."

Haruhi's eyes widened. She sat forward and stared at the man. He was tall, handsome, and definitely had money. His suit was expertly tailored and his black oxfords gleamed in the sunlight.

"Yes, yes, I know. I told you, our man on the inside is working hard to get this right. Yes. No. No. Alright. Yes, tomorrow at Harding Towers is good. Right. Goodbye." The man hung up his phone and stuck it in his pocket.

He glanced at Haruhi, who looked away quickly. He sniffed before walked stiffly toward the entrance to the park.

Haruhi swallowed. Then she stood and began to follow.

* * *

><p>Kaoru took a deep breath, and then dialed.<p>

"This is operator 21467, how can I help you?"

"Hello, operator? I need to find someone's number." Kaoru whispered. Lee was standing about ten feet away, his eyes flickering from Kaoru to the door leading into the main lobby of the station.

"I'll see what I can do. Could you give me their name, please?"

"Dennis Harding."

"Just a moment." Kaoru heard a series of beeps and buzzes from the other line.

"Dennis Harding, 122 Runtoro Square, Ouran?" The operator asked.

"Yeah, I think that's him. Connect me." Kaoru replied. He heard another series of dramatic beeps. Then he heard a click.

"Yes? This is Dennis Harding."

"Dennis."

"Who is this?"

"Kaoru. Kaoru Hitachiin."

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb with me asshole!" Kaoru growled. Lee narrowed his eyes, so Kaoru reduced his voice back to a whisper and said,

"_Kaoru_. The guy you helped put in _jail. Ring a bell_?"

"Hm, _Kaoru_. It does have a familiar ring to it. Though why would you be wasting your single phone call on me? Oh, wait! I know. You must have nobody else to turn to. They all think you're a monster." Dennis said. Kaoru could hear the smile in his voice.

"Shut up." Kaoru hissed. "Just tell me what's going on."

Silence.

Then Kaoru heard a sigh from the other line.

"Well, I did help put you in the unfortunate predicament you've found yourself in, so I suppose I could tell you a little something."

Kaoru waited in silence.

"I know who killed that man."

Kaoru felt a gust of cold ice course through his body. His hands trembled slightly; from excitement or terror, he didn't know.

"_What?_ Who? Who was it?" Kaoru whispered so very softly. He nearly shivered with anticipation. He could hear Dennis take in a breath as he readied himself to reveal the killer.

"Well it was me, of course."

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><p><strong>Yay. He admitted it! Yay. Or is he lying?...But I wouldn't make things that complicated...or would I? XD Hehe. My last day of school is Monday! Hoorah! I love you all you beautiful lovely<em> fantastic<em> humans you!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I have updated this story after an entire summer! (Though that summer was barely long enough to give me recovery time...) Anyways, I was SUPER tired and EXTREMELY out of focus as I wrote this, so I apologize for any mistakes or weirdness. AND I REALLY APOLOGIZE FOR NOT UPDATING. So sorry. I love you all!**

**Also FYI, this story isn't on HOLD, but it is going to be updated very VERY rarely. I'm just not interested in it right now, and also school started. I don't know why I am taking two AP classes. I'm not going to survive this school year. **

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><p>The sky began to darken as Haruhi made her way down the road, tall buildings rising high to her right. The clouds above were swirling into a storm of grays and whites, and as she walked she could feel them beginning to splutter rain onto her head.<p>

A clap of distant thunder erupted like a pounding drum, nearly matching the incredible pounding of Haruhi's heart.

Her pulse would not slow down, couldn't slow down, because she couldn't get over her nerves. How could she? She was following somebody that had possibly framed one of her closest friends of murder.

Her mind was racing, all of what she had heard tumbling around in her skull.

_Someone has framed Kaoru; someone who has money, power, connections. I think he may even have someone inside the station working for him…Okay, slow down. We don't know this for sure. But let's just say it's likely. _

_Is this man the real murderer? _

"This is getting pretty dangerous." Haruhi whispered as she danced through crowds of pedestrians so she wouldn't lose sight of the mysterious man in shining black oxfords.

Haruhi froze when the man stopped walking, but she relaxed and moved closer when she realized he was crossing the street. She watched him enter a skyscraper that shone with luxury.

She swallowed her fear as she looked up to the top of the building. It was so high she could have sworn the tip was brushing against the thunderclouds.

The rain grew harder, soaking Haruhi's short hair. She ran across the street and stood before the entrance, her breathing quick.

She wouldn't go in, no. She felt it wasn't the right time.

No, the right time would be tomorrow, at Harding Towers.

* * *

><p>Kyoya sat at his desk in his dark bedroom, the only light emanating from his computer screen before him and the occasional lightening flash.<p>

Rain was pounding hard against the windows of his home, and thunder was pounding and cracking every few minutes.

Yet he somehow still heard the hard pounding at his front door.

He thought it was something rolling around outside from the wind at first, but then his ears picked up the sound of shouting. He got up from his computer and jogged from his room, almost tripping over a rug in the hallway. He reached his front door and suddenly slowed, a little apprehensive. He peeked out of his peep hole.

His mouth dropped open as he realized that one of the twins, soaked and shivering, was standing at his door.

He unlocked it and swung it open.

Kyoya believed it was Hikaru, though he couldn't be sure.

Hikaru looked up, his face running with rain water. Or maybe tears.

"Kyoya, you have to help Kaoru."

"What? What's the matter?" Kyoya asked, ushering the wet teenager into his home. Hikaru shook his orange hair of water and took a shaky breath.

"Haven't you heard?" Hikaru asked through chattering teeth.

"No, I just got home. I was in Okinawa for a few days. _What happened_?"

Hikaru took a deep breath and swallowed hard.

"It's my fault. _I can't believe I didn't help him,_ I should have, he would have for me. I just don't understand-"

"Hikaru,_ calm down._ What exactly happened?"

"Kaoru…Kaoru was arrested."

"For what?"

"For…murder." Hikaru whispered. "But h-he didn't do it."

Kyoya detected a waver in Hikaru's voice that led Kyoya to believe that may not be true.

But he also knew Kaoru. And Kaoru was no murderer. He was calm, caring. There was no way he could ever commit something like this.

Kyoya narrowed his eyes.

"Come on." He said as he led Hikaru, who Kyoya thought was on the verge of a mental breakdown, to the couch. Kyoya threw him a towel.

"Just rest here for a minute."

Kyoya had a few calls to make.

* * *

><p>Haruhi was lying awake on her bed when she received a call.<p>

"Hello?"

"Haruhi, I need to ask you some questions."

"Kyoya senpai? You have no idea how happy I am that you called. I overheard an interesting conversation today that I need to tell somebody about..."

Kyoya paused before answering.

"Alright, tell me."

"Okay, you know about Kaoru, right?"

"I've been informed of the basics."

"Earlier, Tamaki and I were in the park talking about it. Tamaki left, but another guy came into the park soon after talking on his cell. He mentioned Kaoru's name, and he said some really suspicious stuff about him. He said that there was no way Kaoru would be acquitted, and that he would definitely be charged. _Of murder._ I'm pretty positive he was speaking of our Kaoru, not another. He also mentioned that he has a guy on the inside."

"You think he has someone in the station?"

"Yes."

"Right. Goodbye, I'll keep you informed."

"Wait, didn't you have quest-" Harugi tried, but Kyoya quickly hung up. That didn't matter though. She had just needed to tell someone about the incident in the park.

Though she hadn't told him about the meeting between the man and someone else at Harding towers.

She had a feeling that if Kyoya knew, he would use his police to storm the building and they would never discover who that man was going to meet up with. But if Haruhi went alone, she could find out. She could help Kaoru.

And she was determined to do so.

* * *

><p>Kaoru and Fish sat on the top bunk while Mr. Pedo sat on the bottom.<p>

"Do you really think he's a pedophile?" Fish asked. Kaoru didn't answer.

He had other things to think about.

Dennis Harding. The man had admitted to murder, but had he been telling the truth? Why would he have told Kaoru? Just to torture him?

"I don't understand it any of it." Kaoru said aloud. Fish looked at him and raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"Everything happening to me. It doesn't make sense. How can Dennis do this to me, how is it this easy to take me down?"

Fish pursed his lips. "Well, maybe he's done it before."

"Maybe..." Kaoru said, suddenly deep in thought.

"Or maybe he just has it out for you."

Kaoru sighed and leaned against the wall.

_This is insane. _

"Hey, Kaoru." Fish said. Kaoru turned to see his cell mate's eyes shining with mischief.

"How about we break out of this jail cell?"

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><p><strong>Who's tired? I am! I need sleep but I don't want it. Thanks for reading lovelies, review please if you are able. They are greatly appreciated. <strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry I haven't updated this in a while, I have been a busy bee. But here you go darlings, read, review, and of course, enjoy.**

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><p><em>"What<em>?" Kaoru hissed. Fish smirked and slid off the top bunk, landing lightly on his feet.

"Let's get out of here. We were both _obviously _framed, so let's split."

"No, you're crazy." Kaoru started. A lopsided grin appeared on Fish's face and Kaoru continued, "We can't just break out. Literally, there is no way to break out of here."

Fish laughed and said,

"Oh, young Kaoru, trust me. There are several ways to break out of here. I know from experience."

Kaoru made a worried face. "Look, I'm sorry, but I don't want to look even more criminal than I already look."

"Alright. But tell me if you change your mind. I'll be right here." Said Fish as he sat down in a chair and closed his eyes.

Kaoru sighed.

_This is insanity. This is so unreal, it's like I'm in a dream. No, not a dream, a nightmare._

Something Fish had said kept running through his mind. _Maybe he's done this before_, Fish had said.

Maybe he had. Maybe that was Kaoru's saving grace. Maybe if Dennis had done this before, Kaoru could investigate and bring Dennis down!

_But I can't do any of that from this cell…_

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><p>Hikaru sipped his hot tea. It was chamomile, he decided. It's warmth seeped through his hands.<p>

He sat on Kyoya's sofa, his legs crossed beneath him. Kyoya was somewhere else, making phone calls.

Hikaru was happy to be there. At home, his parents were acting so horribly. Father did not seem to believe in Kaoru's innocence one bit. Mother did, yet she refused to do anything about it. "If it's meant to turn out alright, it will." She kept saying, or Hikaru's favorite, "This is a learning experience for Kaoru."

Hikaru jumped and realized his hands had been shaking so much his hot tea had spilled on him.

He sighed. He was angry. And he was scared.

He was angry with his parents, he was angry with himself, he was even a little angry at Kaoru and he wasn't sure why. And he was scared…

He was scared for Kaoru. He was very scared.

"Hikaru." Kyoya said suddenly and Hikaru spilled more tea on himself. Kyoya had apparently finished making his phone calls. He walked up to Hikaru and sat beside him.

"Don't worry. I can take care of this." He said. Hikaru tried to smile.

"Yeah. I hope so." Hikaru whispered hoarsely.

* * *

><p>Detective Lee sat at his desk, brooding.<p>

He kept looking over the case file, and he stared at Kaoru's mug shot with furrowed brows.

Maybe he had been a little too hard on the kid. He was just a teenager, it wasn't as if he was a hardened criminal like most of the men who passed through the station.

_No._

_You should know better than anyone that teenager or not, it doesn't matter. Some kids are monsters. Some kids kill. You know it, so don't forget it, Lee. Never forget it._

* * *

><p>Kaoru slid from the top bunk and landed clumsily, almost tripping over his feet.<p>

"Fish," Kaoru sighed as he walked over and stood before the older boy, "I need you to help me get out of here."

Fish opened one eye and smiled mischievously.

"I can definitely do that. This going to involve some acting."

* * *

><p>Kyoya and Kaoru were sitting in silence side by side, both of them deep in thought, so when a knock at the door sounded, both of them jumped.<p>

Kyoya looked at Hikaru before getting up to answer it. He stared through the peephole and swung the door open.

Haruhi walked inside.

"Hey Hikaru." She said. She went over and gave him a quick hug.

"Why are you here?" Kyoya asked. Haruhi sat beside Hikaru before answering.

"I couldn't sleep. I keep thinking about what I heard that man say." She replied.

"What man? What are you talking about?" Hikaru inquired.

"I heard a man talking about Kaoru today in the park. Hikaru, I think Kaoru may have been set up."

"Wait,what?" Hikaru asked as he leaned toward Haruhi, craving more information.

"I overheard a man speaking about Kaoru, and he said a lot of things that sounded really suspicious. I think he set Kaoru up."

"What did he look like? What was his name?"

"I don't know the guys name, but he looked pretty young, maybe thirty, and he was dressed very nicely. He definitely had money. He also mentioned a place called Harding Towers." She said, and Hikaru's eyes narrowed.

"I think I know who you're talking about."

* * *

><p>"No, I'm getting the top bunk you little shit! I'm older than you are and I've been here longer!" Fish yelled as he pushed Kaoru against the bars of the cell with a bang.<p>

"Shut up you smelly idiot! I get the top bunk, I was there first!" Hikaru yelled as he lunged toward Fish and hit him in the stomach. They continued yelling and wrestling with one another until the policewoman guarding door that led to the cell area ran in. Apparently she had never encountered Fish, because she quickly opened the cell door and left it open as she pulled the two boys apart.

"No, you have to let me rip this kid into pieces!" Fish yelled as he reached around the woman to hit Kaoru. The policewoman let go of Kaoru to restrain Fish. Fish winked at Kaoru, who then grabbed the sleeping pedophile from the bottom bunk with grunt of effort and pushed him into the policewoman.

The woman staggered and fell under the intoxicated man's weight.

"I need help in here!" She yelled but Karu and Fish were gone, having run through the open cell door and into a hallway.

"Oh my God we are in so much trouble." Kaoru panted as he and Fish turned a corner and ran into another hallway. "Do you know where we're going?" Kaoru asked nervously as they sprinted.

Fish turned to him without stopping and smiled. "I've done this many times, Kaoru. Trust me."

They ran through a scratched metal door and found themselves in some kind of warehouse area filled with police uniforms and weapons.

"Wow." Said Kaoru. Fish grabbed two uniforms and shoved one at Kaoru.

"Put this on." He said, and Kaoru did as he was told. Fish chuckled and said, "I'm surprised they haven't put a guard at this door by now, you'd think they would have learned from the last time..."

Once they were dressed, Fish calmy led Kaoru to the back of the warehouse where there was another door. This one had a obnoxiously bright red exit sign above it.

"Come on." Fish said. He grabbed Kaoru's arm and dragged him through.

* * *

><p><strong>Kind of a short chapter, please forgive me, but I'm trying my best, I swear! I'll try to update soon. Oh and I hope you all enjoyed the holidays, did anybody get something real awesome for Christmas? Or Hanukah or any other religious holiday I am ignorant of?<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for any of you dolls who were waiting, I've felt no drive to write as of late. Here you go, the next chapter. Read, review, and as always, enjoy. **

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><p>Kaoru's breathing hitched as he heard the screaming of a police siren pass by. He rubbed his palms against the rough black pavement, which was damp from something that smelled like a sewer. Or maybe that smell was coming from the cold dumpster which pressed against his back.<p>

Fish sat beside him, an incredibly happy smile on his face. Kaoru didn't understand the guy. They were fugitives on the run, and the young criminal seemed more excited than anxious.

"What do we do now? We've only gotten a few blocks away, and there are police everywhere." Kaoru whispered through his teeth.

Fish laughed. "We'll be fine, you just gotta trust me."

_Bold words from a man hiding behind a dumpster._

"_Trust you?_ Why should I trust you? You've lead us here, and now we're trapped in this stupid alley!"

"Trapped? We're not trapped, we're regrouping. It's all part of my plan, I swear."

"What plan?" Kaoru yelled. Fish stood and snickered, grabbing Kaoru's hand and yanking him up from the ground.

"I didn't make you strip and put that uniform on for nothing. _I have a plan_. Trust me, kid."

"Yeah, whatever." Kaoru sighed. "But you don't seem to understand my situation, here. This is all fun and games for you, but for me this is serious stuff. Do you realize how guilty running makes me look?"

"I told you, you have to trust me. I understand the situation."

"Can you just tell me how you plan on getting us out of here? Please." Kaoru pleaded. Fish groaned.

"Alright. We're gonna walk out of this alley. That's the plan."

Kaoru stared at him. "What?"

"We're going to walk out. We're in uniform! They'll think we're one of them!"

Kaoru continued to stare, his eyebrows raised.

"Look, it's our best shot, kid. We just have to do a little more acting." Fish stated with a smirk. "Now let's get the hell out of here."

* * *

><p>Hikaru walked along the darkened street, his eyes staring at the ground as he thought.<p>

He was thinking about Kaoru. And that guy, Harding. Dennis Harding. He had been contemplating the whole situation since he had left Kyoya's an hour before.

Mostly, Hikaru was concerned. Dennis was wealthy, very wealthy. And with money came power. Power Hikaru wasn't sure he could fight against.

He believed his brother was set up, almost one hundred percent, he was sure. But again, there was a sliver of doubt, almost too small to compensate. He didn't want it to remain in his head, but a part of him that was calculating, rational, wouldn't completely believe Haruhi's story.

_I mean, that guy may have been someone completely different, right? _That part of him said,_ A lot of people work at Harding towers…And Kaoru isn't exactly an uncommon name._

Hikaru stopped dead and smacked himself on the forehead. He made a distressed noise, his fists clenching and unclenching.

"Stop trying to convince yourself that he's guilty, Hikaru. _He is not guilty_." He said aloud.

_He's your brother for Christ sake! You know him! You know he could never do something like that. Dennis could. That guy was a little bit weird._

Hikaru sighed and began his walk again. The streetlamps were dim and flickering, giving the stretch of inky black road an eerie look. There was a slight breeze that blew through the Hitachiin, rattling his bones with frigidity.

He was almost home. Almost home.

Hikaru stopped again, not quite sure why.

Home. Almost home. And Kaoru was sitting in jail. Alone.

Hikaru turned around and began to run. He decided he was going to visit his brother. And he wasn't going to leave. He was going to stay by Kaoru's side. He was not going to go home until his little brother was safe. That was his job. Keep him safe. Protect him. His feet were flying across wet pavement. The wind stung his face.

Protect him.

That's what he would do.

* * *

><p>"How in God's name could you have been THAT STUPID?" Detective Lee screamed, spit flying from his mouth and spraying the young woman sitting before him. A vein bulged on his forehead. The young guard winced and looked down, obviously ashamed.<p>

"Did we not warn you about that man? Did we not tell you he always tries to escape? Hell, he has done it before! _We warned you_! And you just _didn't listen_! Now look what's happened! A lunatic and a murderer running rampant on the streets!" Lee continued. The commissioner entered the interrogation room then, which was where the young guard was being scolded.

"That's enough, Lee." He said. "You're free to leave, Miss Kizuku, but you'll be on probation for two weeks."

"Thank you, sir." Was her meek reply, and she scurried out of the room, relieved that she had been spared of Lee's wrath. The commissioner sighed heavily and closed the door once she was gone. He collapsed into the chair where she had sat, across from Lee. The detective was still seething.

"Sorry, commissioner, it's just-"

"I know, Lee, I know. You feel strongly about this case. I understand. But perhaps you've become too emotionally involved."

Lee shifted uncomfortably. "I know. I'm sorry. But it doesn't affect how I work. I can handle this case."

The commissioner rubbed a hand across his chin. "I know you're a great officer, Lee. Just…remember. Kaoru Hitachiin is not Rin Akamatsu. Don't confuse them. It will cloud your judgement."

The older man stood and walked from the room, leaving Lee sitting alone. Lee stared at the wall, shaken by the commissioner's words.

_He's wrong. Kaoru is just like Rin. Exactly like him. The same smug smile, the same powerful family name…They even look the same. And they're both guilty. Both guilty._

* * *

><p>"Excuse me?" Hikaru panted to the man at the front desk. "I came to visit my brother. Could you help me with that?"<p>

"What's his name?"

"Kao-"

"Hey! There he is! Someone grab him!"

Hikaru yelped as someone slammed into his back. He fell forward, belly first, and landed on the ground. He felt a pressure on his back and realized that someone was holding him down.

"What the hell! Get off of me!" Hikaru yelled, barely able to breathe under the crushing weight.

"Like hell!" The person on his back said.

"Get off of him!" Somebody yelled, to Hikaru's relief.

"But Lee-"

"I said get off! That's not Kaoru Hitachiin. It's Hikaru Hitachiin. Kaoru isn't stupid enough to come waltzing back into the police station after going through all the trouble of escaping."

_Escaping? What the hell?_

Then the weight was gone off his back. A pair of strong hands helped him up. Hikaru looked around and realized everyone in the station was staring at him. Their eyes were accusatory.

Hikaru turned and realized Lee was the person who had helped him up. Surprisingly.

"You guys really know how to treat a guy." Hikaru said, and a few officers glared at him.

"I would keep my trap shut, Hitachiin." Detective Lee hissed. Hikaru glared at him.

"Whatever. Where's my brother? What did you mean _escaping_?" Hikaru growled. Lee glowered at him.

"You're twin decided to jump ship with a repeat offender. Still think he's so innocent?"

* * *

><p>"This is insane this is insane this is insane."<p>

"Calm down kid, we're doing fine. Three cop cars have passed by already. My plan is a success." Fish replied, giving Kaoru and unwanted pat on the shoulder.

"That doesn't mean this isn't insane." Kaoru spat back. He was jittery, shaking from nervousness. Every time a cop car approached, he tensed up. Fish seemed completely at ease with the whole situation, _pleased_ even.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on let's cut through this alley."

"Sure, anything to get off the main roads." Kaoru said. He made his way into the alley just as another police cruiser rolled by. He jumped behind a trashcan, not able to control himself. He watched the car as it drove out of sight, the whole time crouching in his hiding spot. Fish stood with his back to the alley entrance, his body wracked with guffaws. He hadn't even turned to glance at the cruiser.

"What are you laughing at?" Kaoru hissed. Fish snorted and slapped his thigh.

"You…you looked like a scared mouse." He choked out. "What a wimp!"

Kaoru's face flushed. He stood and faced Fish.

"Shut up! I'm just being smart."

"No, you shut up Kaoru." Fish replied, his bubbly attitude disappearing in a flash. His eyes were dark and serious now.

"Wh-"

"Shut up." Fish hissed. Kaoru tensed backed up a few steps. Fish's eyes were so intense they seemed to bore holes right through Kaoru's skull.

Fish began raising one arm. Kaoru caught a flash of shiny metal and looked at his hand closely. Kaoru realized there was a gun in Fish's hand.

"Don't you dare move, Kaoru. Don't you move an inch." Fish said in that voice that was so unlike the character Kaoru had met in the station. It was clear and stable. Cold.

Kaoru realized that the deathly metal contraption was aimed in his direction. He had no idea where the bullet would hit. Maybe his heart. Maybe his head. Maybe he would get shot in the gut and bleed out on the concrete.

Icey fear began seeping into Kaoru's stomach. He did what Fish had said. He didn't move an inch.

Fish cocked the gun.

"Where did you get that?" Kaoru asked, his voice surprisingly steady.

"That big room at the station."

"Why a-"

"Quiet little Kaoru, don't say a word. And don't move an inch."

"Please."

"Don't move."

Kaoru began to shake. He couldn't control it. His tongue felt like sandpaper. His breathing was quick and shallow, as if his lungs were trying to be as quiet as possible, as if they were trying to avoid antagonizing the man called Fish.

"Please, Fish. Please."

A shot rang out.

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><p><strong>Yep. So, how have ya'll been?...I've never used ya'll in a sentence before. It's good to try new things! Right...ya'll? Haha I'm so alone. <strong>

**Please review. No, not please. REVIEW! No I take that back, too forceful. PLEASE review. That's better. I need to take a nap.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey beautiful people, I'm putting this update up here ASAP because I'm gonna be busy the next few weeks, meaning I probably won't be able to update. So here you go! Sorry for the shortness and any mistakes. Anyway, read, review, and as always, enjoy.**

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><p>"I know you don't believe him, and I know you don't believe me. But I swear to you, he didn't do this. He's innocent. Who would know better than me? I'm his brother." Hikaru said softly. He sat on a bench outside the police station. Detective Lee sat beside him, both of them feeling defeated.<p>

"I understand that you think that, and I understand why." Lee sighed, leaning forward and resting his face in his hands. "But it happens all the time. Family members swear up and down that their brother, sister, mother, father, is innocent, but they wind up being wrong."

Hikaru glanced at Lee, his eyes hard. Then his face softened.

"I understand that, too. But Kaoru…He's more than a family member, I mean, we know each other better than we know ourselves. We're best friends. You don't know him like I know him."

Lee sighed deeply once again. "I know him."

"But you don't." Hikaru said with an astonished smile. "You don't know him! You know people you believe are like him, you have seen cases like this before, but you haven't seen one exactly like this. You don't understand what you're dealing with here!"

Lee sat back against the bench, intent on what Hikaru was saying.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean this whole thing looks like a mess, but it's not. This was set up. My brother was setup. And the people behind it have more power than you, more power than me. We're screwed." Hikaru said, looking at his hands.

"You really expect me to believe something like that?" Lee asked as he stood up and faced the teenager.

"No. But it's the truth." Hikaru replied with every ounce of sincerity he could manage, his amber eyes staring hard into Lee's without falter.

"I don't believe you." Lee said. "But humor me. If I did believe you, who would be behind all of this?"

"Have you heard the name Harding?"

* * *

><p>Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Kaoru stood, his eyes widening, as the bullet inched closer. His ears were ringing.<p>

He flinched, and everything sped up in a rush of commotion. In a last ditch effort, Kaoru jumped to the right, trying to evade the bullet before it hit. He only moved a few inches before pain exploded in his shoulder.

He stumbled to the pavement and grabbed his arm. It burned, burned like fire.

Kaoru realized he was holding his breath and released it, which caused another eruption of sharp pain to explode.

"You idiot!"

Kaoru removed a reddened hand from his shoulder to look at the wound. He saw that the bullet hadn't gone straight through his shoulder, but had grazed it, leaving a crescent shaped hole. It was oozing blood, and Kaoru had to look away. He felt sick.

Somebody grabbed his shoulders and heaved him off the pavement. His vision was a little blurry, but he could see that the person holding him up was Fish.

"I told you not to move!" Fish yelled, shaking Kaoru. "Now look what's happened! Don't pass out or anything, we have to go. We have to go right now." Kaoru pulled away from Fish and fell onto his hands and knees. There it was again, the pain bursting through him. His arms shook as he tried to push himself back to his feet.

His shoulder throbbed harder than his head.

"Leave me alone." Kaoru croaked, sounding like a whiny preschooler. He managed to stumble back to his feet. Then he saw something strange lying on the ground a few feet away. Something that looked like a person.

"What?" Kaoru whispered. It was a person, lying on his back. He was wearing a red shirt. No, Kaoru realized, it was a shirt soaked in blood.

"What?" Yelled Kaoru. He stumbled to his feet and ran forward on wobbly legs.

"Get back here you dumbass! He just tried to kill you!" The words reached Kaoru's ears, but he didn't seem to comprehend. He knelt quickly beside the man, which sent another jolt of pain tracing through his body. He bit his lip to keep himself from crying out. A whimper escaped.

"Hey. Hey man, are you okay?" Kaoru whispered. His vision was unstable, shaky almost, and Kaoru was beginning to think he might pass out. Or throw up.

The man groaned and choked up some blood.

"Don't try to talk." Kaoru said, though he couldn't hear himself say it. His hearing had flown out the window, apparently.

The teenager tried what he could; he pushed his hands against the bloody chest of the man. The man grabbed Kaoru's trembling arm and choked up more scarlet blood.

"It's okay. You'll be okay." Kaoru said. The man let go of his arm and struggled, trying to move away from Kaoru.

"Just lie still." Kaoru said, trying to keep the man down. "Do you have a cell phone?" Kaoru needed to call an ambulance, and quickly.

Then Kaoru realized something, and he felt like he had been smacked in the face. He sucked in a sharp breath.

It was Dennis. The man lying on the pavement, bleeding to death, choking on his own blood, was Dennis. Kaoru turned his head sharply to look back at Fish, but he was gone.

Kaoru turned his attention back to Dennis. He looked around Dennis's body and saw a gun lying a few feet away.

He stared at the lethal piece of metal, dumbfounded.

It clicked. Dennis had planned to kill Kaoru. And he would have succeeded if Fish hadn't shot the man. Kaoru wondered how close Dennis had gotten. Had his gun been pointed at Kaoru's back? Had his finger been on the trigger?

_No time to think about this Kaoru, you have to go you have to go. Fish did what you have to do, you have to get out of here._

Kaoru's adrenaline was pulsing, making him jumpy. It combined strangely with his foggy brain.

_This man tried to kill me. But can I really just leave him?_

Kaoru swallowed and stood with much effort. He started walking toward the alley entrance, pausing every so often to rest. His hearing was returning in bursts. He could hear sirens. He wondered if they had heard the gunshot. Maybe that was why Fish had split.

He made it to the road. He looked to the left and right, but saw no sign of Fish.

"Fish!" Kaoru yelled. He started down the road. Then he stopped.

He couldn't do it.

He jogged back to Dennis and grabbed the guy under the armpits. He jerked Dennis toward the road and cried out. His shoulder pounded with pain.

"You owe me for this asshole." Kaoru hissed as he pulled Dennis a little farther. Dennis moved his lips, but couldn't seem to form words.

"Just a little farther." Kaoru panted. He fell backward onto his butt to pull Dennis the last stretch, and the strain put on his arm made him yell out.

"Alright, we're at the road now. A police cruiser should come by in a minute or two and spot you. Stay here." Kaoru breathed. As if the guy was planning to go anywhere.

Then he set off. He tried to his hardest to sprint, but it was draining. He glanced at his shoulder as he made his way down the road, and realized it was still seeping blood.

_Damn it. I have to stop the bleeding or I'll pass out._

Kaoru could feel himself getting weaker. It was now, or never, he had to stop and find a way to stop the blood flow.

He decided to stop in another alley. He slammed his back against a brick wall and slid down to the ground, exhausted. He grabbed his shoulder with a shaky hand and winced.

_Shit. Shit. This is such a mess. What am I going to do?_

Kaoru swallowed hard and sucked in a deep breath. His shoulder didn't hurt very much now. It felt numb. He was tired, very tired. And cold. He shivered. His eyelids were so heavy. A short nap couldn't hurt, right?

His eyelids slid closed and the sirens screaming in the night evaporated into blackness.

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><p><strong>Um...yeah. PLEASE review, my lovelies, they give me life and make me very happy! I love hearing from you guys X3<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry I've been MIA dudes and dudettes, school is a bitch. So is lack of motivation. Huhh. Also, today is my Birthday! I turned seventeen, I am the dancing queen! Also sorry for cursing so much in this chapter, I have begun cursing like a sailor in everyday life, and that has seeped into my writing, so sorry my little babies. I welcome you back! Read, review, and enjoy my loves. **

* * *

><p>It was warm, and it was bright.<p>

Kaoru couldn't help but smile.

Hikaru was beside him, holding his hand, the two of them sitting side by side in their too big sweaters Mommy had made for them. Hikaru's hand was sweaty. Kaoru didn't like that. But he didn't dare let go. He didn't want to let go. He was scared to.

"Kao." Hikaru said, and he turned his big amber eyes and chubby cheeks toward his brother. "What do you want to do today?"

Kaoru thought hard, confused. What would they do that day?

Kaoru already had something planned. Something with a friend.

"I have to go see a boy I met, I think. It's important." Kaoru said. Hikaru wrinkled his nose.

"What do you mean? What boy? We don't know anyone else. Just stay here with me."

"But I have to go."

Hikaru wrapped a short arm around his little brother and pulled him closer.

"Just stay here. We can play on the playground together." He said. Kaoru shut his eyes slowly. They were hot orbs begging for rest.

"M'kay."

* * *

><p>Kaoru woke up in a gasp.<p>

He sat up straight, suddenly awake and horrified by his surroundings.

_How did I get here?_

_A dream, I was dreaming. _Kaoru clenched and unclenched his hand, missing the pudgy five year old hand of his brother Hikaru. The dream had been a slice of a memory, from a distant summer. It had been Hikaru's favorite summer. Kaoru was happy if Hikaru was.

Kaoru shivered.

Rain was pouring steadily onto the asphalt, which Kaoru could hardly see. The sky was dark, yet still light enough to show green gray clouds pushing through the air high above. A cluster of lightening cracked and traced through the heavens.

The pounding growl of thunder followed quickly after.

Kaoru took his eyes from the sky and realized that he wasn't wet. Then he realized why.

He was sitting beside the broken doorway of some concrete building, maybe the entrance to a warehouse or industrial building of some sort. There was no door, just an open hole leading into the pouring rain and terrifying night. Kaoru looked to his left and saw that the innards of the building were even more overwhelmingly black than the rainy alleyway beside him.

"Fish." Kaoru whispered. And he remembered in a flash what was happening. His shoulder was throbbing because a bullet had nicked him. He was probably drowsy for the same reason. Fish had left him there, and now Kaoru was in this place.

_But where is this place?_

"You awake?" A voice whispered from the darkness. Kaoru choked on a scream and scrambled backwards, twisting up and up and onto his feet.

The voice chuckled. "Calm down you scared little mouse. It's me."

Fish then stepped forward from the heavy darkness.

"You-you shot me asshole!" Kaoru yelled. The smile on Fish's face fell.

"I have perfect aim. It's not my fault."

"You could've told me to duck instead of scaring the crap out of me." Kaoru grumbled as he leaned against a sheetrock wall. His heart was pounding. As was his head. His eyes were burning with heat.

"Again, not my fault that you don't trust me."

"You're an insane outlaw. Do you expect me to?"

"Insane isn't a word to be used lightly, mouse."

"Don't call me that."

"How's the shoulder?"

Kaoru looked down at the wound. It wasn't large, but it sure hurt like hell. It looked like Fish had tried to clean it up. Kaoru felt a pang of guilt.

"Yeah, sorry for messing up back there. I should have listened to you." Kaoru said, sliding to the cement floor. It was hard and uncomfortable, but it felt good to rest.

"Yeah."

Kaoru shut his eyes and breathed steadily. He listened to the rain pattering over the roof. He heard Fish sigh and sit down.

Without opening his eyes, Kaoru asked, "Where are we?"

There was a pause, and then Fish answered. "You know, I have no fucking clue. I just dragged you in here from a few alleys down, you were passed out cold and bleeding. You looked dead, I almost had a heart attack. I thought we would be better off inside."

"It's creepy in this place."

"Yeah." Fish began before letting out a big yawn. "But it's better than being out there. I wonder if they're still out there looking. I don't hear any sirens."

"You're right." Kaoru said, furrowing his brows. He didn't hear sirens either. "Isn't it weird though? I mean, if they found Dean- I mean Dennis, I feel like they would be freaking out right now, like running around searching for the gunman on the loose."

Fish sat forward. "You know what, you're right. It's probably Officer Hakujo Lee, sorry, _Detective_, as if that means anything. He likes to regroup and strategize or some shit like that. I've had quite a few run ins with him. Though I can't really complain, I'd probably be in jail if it weren't for him. He's saved me from a long sentence a few times. He watches out for me."

Kaoru opened his eyes fully so he could see Fish. The kid looked exhausted. Kaoru still wasn't sure of the man's age.

"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked, his voice soft and slightly hoarse.

Fish dragged a hand across his scruff and over his eyes, rubbing them harshly.

"I was friends with Hakujo's little brother when I was younger, younger than you even. We were best friends, really, like brothers. Lee would play us both in chess all the time. I always lost. His little brother would win sometimes, though. He wanted to be a detective. Read all those mystery novels, you know? Loved that shit. "

Kaoru stared.

"Hachiro. We called him Hachi. He hated that nickname. He thought it didn't suit his cool detective style." Fish barked a laugh. "As if that mattered, the kid was ninety pounds soaking wet and spoke with a stutter, there was nothing _cool_ about him."

The rain began to pound harder against the roof. Kaoru could smell it.

"We were both losers, to be honest, I guess that's why we gravitated to each other. But I protected the kid, for the most part. I was the bigger of us two, though he was a few months older. And Hakujo protected us both. There were these assholes who liked to beat the shit out of us, insult us, the works. One times this rich kid spit on me, called me dirt poor trash. Lee knocked his front teeth out."

"You're kidding."

"No." Fish laughed. "It was amazing." His smile fell. His eyes seemed fixated on some distant memory.

"Yeah, amazing. Then we went into sixth grade. All was good. I hit a growth spurt, grew four inches, and Hachi stared to lose his stutter, though he always had trouble with hard consonants, it drove me nuts. He would stand there for minutes, repeating the same two letters, for minutes. Ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-_can_. For minutes. It got him so frustrated. It got other people frustrated too. Really frustrated, apparently. A week before summer break he was found dead in a ditch."

Kaoru froze, eyes wide.

"Fucking crazy man, crazy. It was so psychotic, I mean we were kids, and some asshole upper class teenager killed him. And for what? Fun? It's insane. That was insane, Kaoru._ That_ was insane."

"I-I don't know what to say." Kaoru whispered. Fish looked directly into his eyes.

"Rin Akamatsu. You know why Lee seems to hate you so much, Kaoru? You look just like him. Just fucking like him, just like Rin, that rich bastard that killed my best friend and got away with it."

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><p><strong>Sorry that wasn't very long or varied, as in I only kept with two characters, but I had a whole lot of fun writing that last bit. Seriously, like way too much fun. I hope you like my storytelling, or Fish's storytelling rather. If you guys catch any typos feel free to tell me so I can fix them! Gosh darnit it's late. Sorry again for all the F bombs, I felt they were necessary given Fish's emotion. Goodnight my dolls. <strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry for the wait, but here ya's go. Read, review, and enjoy you lovely ducks.**

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><p>"You shouldn't really be in here." Lee said, his arms crossed and his eyes hard.<p>

"Yeah, I Know." Hikaru said as he leaned against the white hospital wall.

"You understand this could either go very well or very badly for your brother?"

"I get it. Let's just go in already." Hikaru insisted, his stomach tied in a not. They stood in the recovery wing of the hospital beside a patient room. Within the patient room, a man lay, sleeping and recovering from surgery.

"Alright." Detective Hakujo Lee stated gruffly before striding into the room.

Hikaru wasn't sure if Lee wanted him to stay out or not, so he took a chance and followed him in. Lee gave him a dirty look, but allowed it. Hikaru wasn't sure where he stood with Lee. The guy seemed to like Hikaru somewhat, but then again Hikaru kept noticing icy glares from the man. Maybe Lee hated Kaoru so much he couldn't help but dislike his twin.

Hikaru walked over to Lee and stood by his side, staring into the hospital bed before him. In it laid Dennis Harding. The man had been shot two inches to the left of his navel. By who, that was the question, the question that would decide Kaoru's fate.

_That idiot better not have done something this stupid, he better not have, even if it was self defense. This would destroy his case. _

A gun had been found feet away from Dennis Harding. The gun belonged to Dennis. Lee suspected Dennis ad been out looking to either threaten or kill Kaoru, perhaps for killing one of his associates in the alleyway.

Hikaru knew better. He knew that Dennis was bad news. And he suspected the man had gone out to kill Kaoru, to cover his tracks. Now more than ever he believed in his brother's innocence.

"This guy went out to kill Kaoru, Lee. He went out looking to erase evidence. It wasn't about revenge." Hikaru whispered.

Lee shook his head disbelievingly and glanced at Hikaru. There was pity in his eyes.

"Lee, I _told_ you. I _told_ you about this guy. My friend Haruhi heard him talking about Kaoru, and this guy was weird around Kaoru. He kept looking at him, making Kaoru nervous. And-"

Hikaru paused, thinking. He had remembered something. Something about the night of the alley murder. Kaoru had been scared. He had run from their bedroom. He had heard somebody in there with him. The window had been open. Open like somebody had climbed through. Why would somebody sneak in? Why? There was something there, something Hikaru was missing, something he could figure out if he could just-

"He's waking up." Lee said with a low tone. Hikaru's thoughts were cut short as Dennis Harding began to move in his bed. The man opened his eyes slowly. They were startlingly blue, Hikaru noticed. So blue they seemed to glow.

"Dennis." Hikaru said before Lee could stop him. "What happened?"

"Hush." Lee growled. "Give him time. The bastard got shot."

Dennis groaned and shifted under his blanket. The heart monitor sped up slightly. The man looked confused. His brows bunched as he took a deep breath and winced.

"The hell is goin' on here? Who are you?" Dennis mumbled, looking at Lee. Then he looked at Hikaru and his eyes got wide. Then they returned to normal.

"Thanks, kid." Dennis said softly. Lee and Hikaru shared a glance.

"For what?" Hikaru asked, moving closer to the bed. Dennis's eyes fluttered.

"Fer comin' back fer me. You could've left me. I would've died there." Dennis slurred, his eyes slowly closing. "I would've bled."

Dennis's heart rate became a little slower, the beeping becoming the only noise in the dimly lit room. The man was asleep once again.

"He wasn't found beside his gun." Lee said. "And he wasn't where he had been shot. There was a trail of blood, like he had been dragged."

"So…so you think Kaoru dragged him to the road? He saved him?"

"Maybe. That would mean he probably wasn't the one to shoot this man. Why shoot him to save him?"

"So it was that other guy? The psycho?" Hikaru asked. Lee's eyes narrowed.

"The guy Kaoru escaped with, yeah. It might have been him. He may have shot Dennis to save Kaoru. Though it doesn't seem like him. It's a bit violent."

"You know him well?"

"He's been a thorn in my side for a very long time." Lee snorted. He ran a hand through his hair and paced a bit round the room. Then he settled with sitting in a visitor chair.

"You should split, Hikaru. Go home. Sleep. Be with your family." Lee sighed. The man looked exhausted. And for a moment, although the man hated his brother and had done everything within his power to incarcerate him, Hikaru felt bad for Lee.

"It's seven in the morning, Lee. And my twin brother is somewhere in the city, maybe scared, maybe injured. Maybe…I can't just go home, okay? I can't go home and relax when my baby brother might be in danger. There's no way."

Lee looked up at Hikaru's face and stared for a while. "You're a good brother." He said.

"But you've been up all night. You can't help anyone if you're half dead. Go sleep. I'll go out searching for Kaoru. And I promise I won't be harsh when I find him. Believe it or not, I've considered what you've told me. Just go home." Lee said, his head in his hands.

Hikaru licked his lips and looked at Dennis, who was still sound asleep. Lee was right, he was exhausted. He felt like he could pass out cold at any second.

"Fine. But I hold you to that promise. I'll be out looking in a few hours." Hikaru stated before leaving the room. He didn't wait for Lee's reply. He walked quickly through the hospital hallways, turning right, then left, then left again, nurses in scrubs bustling along, patients in wheelchairs edging down the hallways, and doctors carrying clipboards running to catch the elevator. The air smelled like disinfectant and artificial fruit. Hikaru supposed it smelled that way to mask other smells, smells of sour sickness, of death, of hopelessness.

"You're a cheery one, aren't you?" Hikaru whispered under his breath.

He made his way into an elevator just as it was about to close. A middle aged woman in a white lab coat stood in a corner, a pen in her mouth and her eyes on a paper in her hand. Her mouth moved slightly as she read it to herself, the pen jiggling up and down and she spoke.

In the other corner a young man maybe thirty years old stood with his hands on the handles of a wheelchair. In that wheelchair sat a very small boy with legs so thin they seemed fragile enough to be broken by a jolt of the elevator car. Hikaru wondered if the child could walk at all, and assumed he could not. He wondered if he had been like that since birth.

He pressed the button for the lobby and waited. The wait seemed to take minutes, though it took only seconds. Then he was out, nearly running out of the hospital. He didn't like them, he decided. He had liked hospitals once, he had thought of them as tranquil. But now he realized he didn't like them. They scared him.

They made him think about things he would rather not think about.

* * *

><p>"His cousin?"<p>

"Yes ma'am. I'm his cousin, Janice Harding. Well, second cousin, actually. Is he here? Could you get him for me?" Haruhi asked, batting her eyelashes sweetly and cursing herself for doing so.

"Oh, poor dear haven't you heard?" The receptionist for Harding Towers said as she leaned forward over the front desk. "Poor Denny is in the hospital. He was shot by some lunatic. Haven't you been watching the news?"

Haruhi stared at her, eyes wide and shining. _Shot? By who? A madman? This ruins everything. He was supposed to have a meeting today; this was my chance to figure this whole mess out._

"Oh my God." Haruhi breathed. The receptionist frowned and patted Haruhi's hand.

"If you would like I could let you up to see his father. I'm sure Mr. Harding would appreciate a visit from his niece in such times." The woman said with a sad smile.

Haruhi looked at her. "Yes, that would be good." She stated, the shake in her voice not entirely false.

The woman stood and hustled from behind her desk. She took Haruhi's hand and began to lead her toward an elevator with polished bronze doors. The receptionist's red heels clicked against the marble floor as they went.

The tall woman swept her brown hair behind her shoulders and leaned forward to press a button. The elevator doors slid open and Haruhi was led inside.

_Well, this should be interesting._

* * *

><p>Kaoru was awoken by sunlight.<p>

He opened his eyes and groaned as rays of the morning sun hit them full force. He shut them again and turned over. His finger rubbed softly against the concrete ground, and Kaoru realized that he had fallen asleep on the floor.

He took a deep breath through his nose and sat up, face and body stiff. He wriggled his nose and yawned. He was thirsty. And he was so hungry it was nauseating.

Kaoru looked to his left with a stiff and protesting neck. Concrete wasn't the best pillow. Apparently Fish loved it, however, because the man was sleeping like a baby a few feet away.

"Fish."

Fish turned over.

"Fish wake up."

Fish groaned and wagged a hand.

"Shush it's still early."

"Fish! Do you realize where we are right now?"

"Mmm. Japan."

"_Very_ funny."

"Yeah? Sue me." Fish sighed. He sat up slowly and looked at Kaoru. "How's the shoulder?"

Kaoru looked down. His shoulder wasn't hurting too badly, but it itched.

"I want to scratch at it."

"Good. It's healing."

"Yeah. I'm starving, though. Where can we get some food?"

Fish pursed his lips. "Well, I doubt you would eat what I would suggest."

"What do you suggest?" Kaoru asked as he raised a brow.

"The dumpster on 25th has good pickings."

"You're kidding." Kaoru said, his face screwed up in disgust.

Fish barked a laugh and stood. "I'm not. But I'm sure I can snag you something from a fruit stand downtown. I'll be back." Fish walked toward Kaoru and stepped over Kaoru's legs to get out of the warehouse exit.

"Wait." Kaoru said. Fish paused and turned. "What are we going to do, Fish?"

Fish's eye's narrowed a bit. He didn't have to ask what Kaoru meant. He knew.

"We'll do what we set out to do. We'll look for evidence. We'll prove your innocence. It'll just be a little tougher with the fuzz on our asses. I'm sure shooting that Dennis guy will make them a little more agitated. But we'll be fine, kid. You'll be fine. I'll protect you, alright?"

Kaoru smiled slightly. He believed Fish would help him. He trusted him. "Thanks, Fish."

"Don't sweat it." Then he was gone, leaving Kaoru alone in warehouse full of dusty boxes.

* * *

><p>"Here we are. Mr. Harding! I have your-"<p>

"It's okay, I'll just walk in, he won't mind. Him and I are very close." Haruhi said with the saddest eyes she could manage. "I think he would rather it just be me who comes in to see him. Given the circumstances."

"Oh, you poor thing, you're right. I hope you two find comfort with one another." The receptionist said, pouting a little. Then she walked off, the sound of her heels residing.

Haruhi sighed with relief. Her heart was pounding in her throat. "Thank God." She whispered. If that lady hadn't left, Haruhi would have had her cover blown.

She looked at the door in front of her. It was enormous and black. The elaborate handle was bronze, like the elevator doors. Haruhi took it in her hand and began to turn it. Then she stopped, her ears pricking up. She could hear a voice inside, a male voice, low and loud. She listened very hard and made out a single sentence.

"Yes, I'd like you to find him and do what my boy couldn't, and if you don't get it done you'll get exactly what Dennis got."

Haruhi looked to the marble floor.

_He's giving someone a real threat. Dennis was shot. Did this man shoot him? Is he the madman who shot Dennis Harding? Could a father do such a-_

"Girl."

Haruhi jumped, startled and horrified. Her pulse quickened and she froze where she was.

Mr. Harding was standing in his doorway. Haruhi hadn't even heard the door open.

"Who are you? How did you get up here? Have you been eavesdropping?"

* * *

><p>Kaoru had begun to pace. Fish had been gone for over an hour and a half.<p>

He supposed it wasn't all that long to be gone, seeing as Fish had meant to walk all the way downtown and back. But it had been a long time.

And he was alone.

The warehouse wasn't as large as the dark night had made it appear. It was smaller, perhaps three hundred square feet. The place was filled with piles and piles of boxes, some of the piles reaching the ceiling, which was very high. Kaoru wondered what they contained.

He walked over to the warehouse entrance and peeked outside. The street was a good fifty feet away. The warehouse alley wasn't really an alley at all; it was more like a small side road leading to a dead end. There was another warehouse across the way, and a very large building to the left that ended the road.

Kaoru stepped outside. It was a cool day, but the sky was clear. Kaoru looked to the street and backed back into the warehouse, slightly paranoid that a police cruiser would go by.

He wandered further into the warehouse, extremely curious as to what the boxes held. He walked to a shorter stack and reached for a box. He pulled it down, which caused two others to come tumbling down as well. They spilled open and dumped hundreds of floppy disks across the concrete.

"No wonder this place is abandoned." Kaoru snorted. He picked up disk a and walked back over to the warehouse entrance, pacing once again. He played with the disk, tapping it against his hand, and was doing so when Fish appeared at the doorway.

"Kaoru!" He yelled, his voice raspy. The man's shoulders rose and fell as he heaved huge breaths. Kaoru looked up and froze. Fish's hand was to his face. Red blood was pouring from his nose and dripping into his mouth and off of his chin. Fish rushed toward Kaoru.

"What happened?" Kaoru yelled, backing away a bit. "What-"

Fish slapped a bloody hand across Kaoru's mouth. "Shut up." He hissed.

"We have to hide. We have to hide right now." Fish whispered. "He's trying to kill us. Go. _Go_."

* * *

><p><strong>I hope I didn't make too many mistakes, I'm tired as hell, and I don't know why. I slept til 11, so what's this all about? Ugh. I hope you all like this chapter. When Mr. Harding asked Haruhi if she had been eavesdropping, it was SO HARD not to type "I ain't be dropping no eaves sir!" Man I need to re-watch those movies. Anywho, review please, and replenish my weary soul. <strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**Here's another chapter! I rather like this one! (Is it weird to say I like my own chapter?) Read, review, and as always my darlings, enjoy. **

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><p>"My name is Haruhi, sir. I'm sorry to disturb you. I was told I could interview you, sir. It's for the school paper." Haruhi choked.<p>

"Interview?" The older man muttered, his tone low and tired. There were bags beneath his bloodshot eyes.

"Yes, sir. I'm doing a piece on successful business practices." Haruhi continued. She could feel a thin sheen of sweat on her brow.

His bloodshot blue eyes narrowed. "For what school?"

"Ouran, sir." Haruhi replied hastily, giving Mr. Harding a polite bow.

"Oh. I see. Why don't you come inside, Haruhi?" The man said with a small smile. He opened the door wide and invited her in. Haruhi hesitated.

Something in her gut was telling her not to enter that room. No, she wouldn't enter; she would instead turn him down and get into the elevator. She would run out of this building as that naïve little secretary asked her how Mr. Harding was doing. She would leave and never look back. She would find another way to help Kaoru; she would get information using Kyoya and his resources. She would keep away from danger; she would keep out of the trouble she knew was waiting for her in that room.

She walked into the office.

* * *

><p>Kaoru breathed heavily, but quietly. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest he could see his shirt move with the pulse. His throat was so dry he thought he might choke.<p>

He sat behind a tall pile of boxes, his sweaty back pressed against the cardboard. Fish sat beside him, his nose still leaking a steady flow of red blood. As Kaoru watched, Fish looked at him and shook his head. Kaoru didn't understand what that meant morosely, as if he were saying sorry.

He began to whisper, "What-"

Then he heard the footsteps. They were faint at first, but they grew steadily louder. They were slower than Kaoru would have expected. He had thought that the person that had attacked Fish, whoever he was, would be in hotter pursuit.

Although the person was taking longer to reach their location, the slowness of those footsteps frightened Kaoru even more. They sounded deliberate; purposeful. Kaoru shivered and goose bumps erupted across his flesh.

There was a pause in the footsteps. Kaoru could hear Fish's shaky breaths layering over his own.

Then the footsteps began again, this time even slower than before. Kaoru could tell that the man was almost at the warehouse entrance. The man would surely have his eyes set on the it by now. Kaoru turned to Fish, his nerves on end, and asked in a hushed whisper,

"Did he punch you in the nose?"

Fish shook his head, his eyes wide.

"He clipped it."

"With what?"

The footsteps stopped again and Fish held up a trembling finger to his lips, signaling Kaoru to shut up. Fish was scared, very scared. His face was pasty and sweat was beading at his temples.

Kaoru shut his eyes tight, grimacing.

The man had reached the doorway. That was why he had stopped. His breathing filled the room. It was loud, and deep. The man sounded at ease. He began to walk around the front of the warehouse, his shoes skimming the concrete. Kaoru could hear his pants swishing with each step.

The man sighed.

"Come out, you two. If you make this easy for me, I won't make this painful for you. Just come out."

The voice was steady and reasonable. There was patience in the man's tone. Patience.

Fish and Kaoru looked at each other. Desperation shone in both of their eyes.

"You said he's trying to kill us?" Kaoru whispered, speaking so quietly he barely even spoke the words.

Fish nodded his head once. An affirmation.

"You're sure?"

Another nod.

"Come on, boys. I'm not looking for a fight, here. Just come on out and we can handle this like respectable individuals. I need to speak with you."

Kaoru looked at Fish with raised eyebrows, half convinced to get up from behind the boxes. He even started to move, but Fish grabbed his arm and shook his head furiously. He mouthed "No."

Kaoru swallowed hard.

The man began to move closer, nearing the spot where they were hiding. He seemed to be looking behind rows of stacked boxes, searching. He did so very slowly and very carefully.

"Come on kiddies, I'm on a schedule."

The voice was louder now, and Kaoru could hear that the footsteps were very close. He could imagine the man was just around the corner, about to walk behind their very stack of musty cardboard boxes. He would round the corner, he would see these two sitting there like scared rats, and he would-

_What? Kill us? How can we be sure?_

Those treading feet were so close now, so very close. The sound of rubber soles skimming across concrete was loud in Kaoru's ears. Fish's eyes were closes, and his lips were thin.

Kaoru looked to their right.

One of the long walls of stacked boxes leading through the warehouse was right there, right beside them. There was only a short gap between the pile they were behind and the wall of boxes. The Hitachiin wondered if they could crawl deeper into the warehouse without making a sound, and without being seen. He looked back to Fish and pointed to their right, toward the boxes. Fish shook his head. Kaoru pointed again and grabbed Fish by the arm, trying to make him understand. This was their only chance.

Fish looked down for a moment, thinking. When his eyes met Kaoru's once again, they were determined. Fish nodded.

Kaoru began to crawl. He moved very slowly, very quietly, his muscles stiff and shaky. He attempted to keep his breathing as shallow and slight as possible, but the effort was making him woozy. The footsteps had ceased for a few minutes, but that only put Kaoru on edge.

He heard the man shift his feet, and Kaoru jumped. He took a deep breath and continued forward until he reached the gap in the boxes. He looked over his shoulder. Fish was right behind him.

Kaoru had no idea where the man was looking. He had no idea if that man would see him when he crawled past the cover of the boxes and on to the next. But he had to try, he had to try to get out of this place.

He began forward, moving as quickly as possible while still remaining quiet, and when he was halfway to the cover of the boxes, he glances over his shoulder, searching for a glimpse of the man that was searching for them.

Kaoru saw him immediately. His back was to them, and that fact gave Kaoru a slight sliver of ease. The man was on the shorter side, with a stocky build, and he had dark, short cropped hair. His clothes were casual, but neat. Then Kaoru looked a little further down at the object in the man's hand, and he nearly screamed.

It wasn't a gun.

It wasn't a knife, even.

It was a hammer.

* * *

><p>"You would have no clue to the day, I'm having young lady, but I suppose you've been sent from the heavens to brighten it up."<p>

Haruhi gave Mr. Harding a large smile. "It's my pleasure to help you out, sir." She sat in a large leather chair, one of two that sat side by side in front of Mr. Harding's enormous polished oak desk. It was stained a very dark brown, and it shone so perfectly that it reflected Haruhi's face. Mr. Harding sat behind this said desk, smiling happily and straitening his foot long name plaque which simply read "HARDING" in gold lettering.

Haruhi received the impression that this man was full of himself, but not in an undeserving way.

She read intelligence in his eyes. She also read it in his room. The room was large, and very airy, yet it was also filled with things an educated mind desires to keep around. There were four bookcases around the room, each filled with works of both fiction and non-fiction. Their spines were worn, as if every single book had been read over and over.

Awards and plaques shone on the walls, as did pictures of Harding shaking hands with prominent figures. Hanging behind his desk, Harding's college diploma was encased in glass. He had graduated from Harvard with a degree in business. Mr. Harding had accomplished much in life. Haruhi wondered if he had earned the money he had, or if it had been given to him, just like so many of the students at Ouran.

He was proud of himself, and he enjoyed flaunting it.

"So." Mr. Harding began, "How will this begin?"

"I'll just ask some questions. I see you attended Harvard. That is an incredibly good school in the United States. Do you believe what you learned there helped get you to where you are today?" Haruhi asked. She was surprised with herself.

_That was a pretty good question. He might actually believe I'm the real deal._

"Ah, yes. You're right, it is an excellent school. The best. But did it help me get where I am today…? I'm not so sure of that. What got me here is my cleverness and my earnest. And my will to succeed. That piece of paper is just proof that I take tests well."

He chuckled, and Haruhi smiled genuinely.

"So it was useless? Then why did you spend that money for no reason? I hear that higher education is extremely expensive in America, especially at such a prominent school."

Harding's eyes narrowed a bit and the smile fell from his face. "That's an interesting question from a girl that attends Ouran High School. I wouldn't think money would concern you."

"Well, it's a curiosity of mine." Haruhi said, her voice trembling slightly.

Harding stared. He stood and began to walk toward the enormous wall of windows to their left.

"What's your last name, Haruhi?" He asked, his back to her. A chill wracked her body, and she stood very slowly from her chair, trying to keep from making any noise. She didn't want to be in this room anymore. She was frightened. The mood of the room had much too quickly changed from calm to hostile, even if the hostility was well masked.

Haruhi began walking toward the door. When she was halfway there, she said, "What are you doing Mr. Harding?"

Without turning to face her, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

Mr. Harding turned around. There was a small smile on his face. It was a smile of contempt.

"I'd like you to leave, now, Haruhi. I'm a busy man, and my son is unwell."

Haruhi stood there, staring hard into Mr. Harding's knowing blue eyes. Then she turned, her nerves on edge, and left the room.

The door closed loudly behind her, and she jumped. Her footsteps clacked across the marble floor as she half ran to the elevators. She began to press the down button repeatedly, her head whipping to the office door every few seconds.

The elevator was a floor down, rising up to meet her. She held the button down with one finger, egging the machine to work more quickly.

The office door handle began to turn.

Haruhi's throat felt like it was closing up. She attempted to swallow, but she couldn't do it. A thin layer of perspiration was appearing at her temples as she listened the loud noise of the elevator as it rose much too slowly to take her to safety.

_He told me to leave he told me to leave he won't hurt me right? He wanted me to go away, why come back out to get me?_

Her heart was beating in her throat. Maybe that's why she couldn't swallow.

The office door began to creak open, and Haruhi heard the elevator car arrive at her level. Her eyes were trained on the crease between those two chrome sections. The doors weren't opening, though. _Why weren't they opening?_

"Oh, and Haruhi, darling?"

Haruhi's breath hitched and she looked toward the office. Mr. Harding was standing there in the doorway, the door half open in front of him.

The elevator doors slid open.

"Say hello to Kaoru, for me."

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that's that. Happy late 4th of July everybody! Thanks for reading this story!<strong>


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